Haunting Evil
by DistantxRain
Summary: After a team under the US Government sent to investigate an unknown estate in Piedmont, Italy go missing, Leon S. Kennedy is sent to find them. Upon his search, he discovers a mysterious woman filled with fear and sorrow, leading him to face a challenge like none before. Rated M for violence, language and upsetting themes. More details inside
1. Prologue

**Hello! Years ago I wrote an incomplete crossover fanfiction of Capcom's Resident Evil and Haunting Ground. Unfortunately I got distracted by life and other games/stories but now I have decided to come back to it. Many apologies to those who have been waiting on this one. I am very grateful for your patience. Also, I have moved on to the website Archive of Our Own, going by the username DistantRain. While I will continue to upload HE here as well, I will be more active in that website rather than this one.**

**To those who are new to Haunting Evil, it is set in 2005 – one year after RE4 and after the first half of HG's Ending D. Fiona did not abuse Hewie in this story (as that is the requirement for the ending). It will contain spoilers from both HG and the RE series, as well as contents such as violence, blood & gore, language and upsetting themes that could be triggering. This includes physical & mental abuse, trauma and others to come. More warnings will be given in advance within later chapters to the best of my abilities for those who may be sensitive and avoid spoilers of this story.**

**Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Prologue

_"THAT, _ _my dear, is what you will become in the future."_

_"...You WILL be mine..."_

_"...I've decided you shall give birth to me."_

_"Don't worry, I do not intend to kill you... if you would just lend me your womb."_

_"I shall be born again. This time, with YOUR Azoth."_

It was over. It was all over.

The last shred of hope was nothing but futile. Every time those words would repeat in her head, her heart would sink, her soul would fade away, her mind would fall apart. Those exact words from _him_ would haunt her forever. She wasn't sure how long it had been since this nightmare began... but there was no point in going on. _He_ had blocked every path she could take.

Her companion, her dear friend, could still be out there. She feared he had lost to that bullet. The dreadful thought sent more tears to her eyes, staining her face and tangled in her lashes.

She didn't know what to do anymore.

It was too much to take.

She wanted to shut everything out, even her own existence... To let the man who stole her life do as he will with the empty shell she was becoming. Just to end it all...

To end the pain that ached her body tremendously...

Bruises blemished her pale skin. Blood trickled down her face, down her arm, down her thighs... soaking the bed sheets and her torn dress. She was curled in a ball in an attempt to hide the state she was in from her vision. She felt so numb but could not stop shaking and felt her sore throat lump yet refused to let it escape past her lips.

She was completely convinced that she was doomed to live a life of eternal hell...

...in the castle _he_ called her home...


	2. Chapter One

**Hello! There hasn't been a lot of changes in this chapter. Just some minor ones. Enjoy!**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter One

Leon Kennedy grunted as his alarm clock buzzed down his ear and woke him from a good night's sleep. Hardly able to get his eyelids open, he lifted his hand to silence the irritating noise and then glimpsed at the red digits before him... Six in the morning. Slowly sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and the duvet fell, exposing his bare chest to the chilly air. So he forced himself out of bed.

Later that morning, fully dressed after a hot shower, Leon was sitting on the couch in the living room of his apartment, finishing his breakfast. The news on the television began its next report which was an update about a family of three that disappeared half a year ago whilst on holiday in Europe. The parents were soon found dead in a wrecked vehicle and the teenage daughter, a university student, was nowhere to be seen. Like she had vanished into thin air. He remembered reading about it in a newspaper.

An image of a photo of the family appeared on screen along with each of their names beneath them. The parents had their arms around their daughter's shoulders, smiling with pride and happiness. The daughter was smiling just as brightly between them. After the image was footage, repeated from previous reports, of sobbing relatives and friends laying flowers in honour of their memory.

It was depressing to watch. Even more so when the reporter announced that the official search for the missing daughter was being withdrawn due to the lack of clues, suspects and witnesses. Evidence of foul play was confirmed at the scene but there wasn't a lot to follow from there. There were also no signs of her whereabouts anywhere and the case turned cold in a short period of time. It was believed that she had presumably died as well. So her relatives hired private investigators to continue the search when the local authorities called it off, regardless of the slim odds of finding her.

The report ended with hopes of her safe return when Leon's phone began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and answered it after its third ring.

"Leon, here."

"**Leon, it's Ingrid," **spoke a woman.

"Hey, Hunnigan."

"**We need you here as soon as possible. There's an emergency."**

"An emergency? What happened?"

"**Just get to HQ. The chief at the office will inform you."**

"Alright, I'll be on my way."

* * *

A scruffy white German shepherd dog treaded through an endless forest, slightly limping over one of his back legs with a firm goal in mind. He had to find her. He could never forget watching that horrible man carry her away in his arms.

Ahead of him were stone walls of a manor he and his friend once ventured together. He had circled it many times but could never find a way back in. Despite this, he did not give up. On his next round that day, he came across something different. There was a man lying on the ground with a terrible odour of blood and a frozen face of pain. The dog nudged his shoulder with his nose. When he could see that the man remained motionless, he began to smell the body to further investigate. On the man's neck was a clean-cut wound. The dog raised his head and looked around uneasily, whining softly.

He jumped when an unexpected static sound screeched out loud, coming from a device clutched in the man's hand.

"**...-Tyler? Do you read me? Come in! I repeat, do you—"**

The static noise stopped and then footsteps were heard, approaching somewhere from behind. It sounded too heavy to belong to who he was searching for, so he quickly hid in a nearby bush.

A large, muscular with a slightly deformed left arm stomped by past him. It was shifting, retaining a normal shape. His face had strange markings and a long scar from his left eye to his chin. In one hand was a sharp object with blood dripping from the tip. He reeked of a foul yet familiar scent which made the dog crouch lower in his hiding place.

The man carried a silver case in the other and was heading towards the manor. The dog's eyes followed his every move as he walked across a path and up some stairs leading up to tall double doors. When he stopped in front of them, there was a clicking sound and the doors creaked as they slowly opened outward.

The dog emerged from the bush and rushed to catch up.

Instead of going in, the man stood still. Then suddenly, he flung the sharp object at the dog. It had just missed, frightening the canine, causing him to yelp and run away back down the stairs and disappear into the forest once more.

The man huffed to himself, reaching to pick up his dagger. He recalled being told about a certain white dog.

"_So the mutt's still alive, huh?"_

Positive that everything was clear, he went into the mansion.

Inside was another man waiting for him wearing a hood over his head. His outfit resembled a monk's attire. On his chest was a small, gold emblem similar to a caduceus. He was standing in front of a marble statue of a woman holding a large caduceus and scales at the opposite side of the entrance hall. The scales were evenly balanced by the same weight with gold coins in one and a milky-white stone in the other. Once the muscular man was in the centre of the room, the hooded man removed the stone. The scale with coins tilted down and the double doors began to creak again, gradually closing, followed by the same clicking sound.

"I am pleased to see you brought it back, Krauser," said the hooded man who stepped over an old puddle of blood had dried into the carpet. "Did you take care of him?"

"Yeah. He almost got away but I managed to slit his throat," Krauser replied, spinning his dagger with a single hand.

"Good... but I shall keep the traps active. I will not willing to take any chances."

The hooded man held his hand out and Krauser gave him the case. He opened it, feeling himself relax seeing a capsule with a purple glow inside. Staring at it for a moment, his eyes narrowed when he looked back at Krauser.

"Are you certain you also took care of that... Miss Ada Wong?"

Krauser frowned, wondering why he would ask such a question.

"From what you have told me, she was just as troublesome as the dog was."

"It's like I said," Krauser started. "I snatched the case right out of the woman's hands before the chopper crashed. She was in there bleeding to death when I checked on the site. Ada Wong is as good as dead."

The hooded man did not respond, sealing the case and made his leave.

"Make sure there are no more outsiders," he commanded. "Then see to it that Miss Belli is secured."

"...Yes, Riccardo," obeyed Krauser before walking off in his own direction.

These outsiders were definitely from the United States government. He knew because he used to work for them himself. A former agent now turned mercenary. How they could have discovered a place like this was beyond him.

Riccardo was furious when he found out about their arrival, demanding to know how the estate was found and how they got in. He had even accused Krauser of luring them over at first, which was quite insulting. The mercenary was able to prove himself by dealing with them personally. Some were foolish enough to fall for ancient booby traps that were hidden throughout the castle. Listening to the sounds of their suffering and anguish felt so satisfying...

However, Riccardo's biggest concern was the girl. He always bragged about her like she was the rarest treasure to possess. Sure, she was a real beauty but sometimes it was a little disturbing, even for him, of how much he was obsessed with her. He never gave a lot of details. Just that it was vital that she stayed put.

Krauser grumbled to himself. The quest about Ada bothered him. It made him think back to that moment in Spain...

* * *

"_That's a large thing you have there," mocked the woman in red._

_He could feel his body was getting weaker at a dramatic rate. His blood was oozing from his wounds and spread across the metallic platform. He could barely move. His mutated left arm decreased in size. Rage consumed his mind over the humiliation of defeat._

"_...but I don't like it when men play rough," she finished, cocking her head to the side._

_And with that, she stepped over his arm and walked away._

'_Come back here!' he wanted to shout, though no sound was made. 'This isn't over! Get back here, you fucking bitch!'_

_His right hand clenched tightly, knowing he had no choice. Mustering whatever strength he had left, he reached into one of his side pockets and pulled out a small vial filled with a red fluid..._

* * *

Her face was priceless when she saw him in the helicopter, especially after she just stole the sample from their 'old friend'.

It was worth using the _supply_ given to him. If not for that precious gift, he would have been left there to rot. It was still disappointing because he had already used the first vial after the fight with that damn government agent. He could not risk the third after Ada-... defeated him. He really hated that word.

Jack Krauser swore to himself that HE would be the one to have the last laugh.


	3. Chapter Two

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Two

"Sweetheart? Can you hear us?"

A young woman's eyes fluttered open. There were two people smiling down at her. She almost felt like she couldn't breathe when she saw their faces. She stared at them in shock and bewilderment.

"...Mummy? Daddy?"

"How are you feeling, dear?" asked her mother.

The woman looked back and forth between her parents. She then noticed that she was in a hospital room, tucked in a soft bed with them standing at each side.

"H-How...?"

"There was an accident. You've been asleep this whole time. We were so worried about you," her father explained.

"I was?"

"Yes. And now that you're awake, everything is going to be alright."

"B-but... You both were—" the woman stuttered, becoming restless. "I was trapped and couldn't get away... They kept on chasing me and—and—"

The mother hushed her daughter, stroking the light blonde hair on top of her head.

"It's okay... You just had a bad dream," she assured.

"...Dream?"

"That's right. I'm going to do everything in my power to bring you home."

The woman began to settle. Was everything... really just a dream? None of it happened at all? That meant her parents were... Relief swamped through her. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into the mattress, soothed by the comfort from her mother and father. This was what she wanted. Exactly this for so long...

As soon as she was eased with content, the unforgettable sound of a certain gun reloading snapped her eyes back open. The room was darker than it was seconds ago. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw at that moment...

She could only gape in horror when her father aimed a flintlock pistol at her mother and pulled the trigger.

The woman's scream was almost mute under the gunshot's deafening blast. Her mother's blood splattered on the wall before she fell back against it and slumped to the floor. The woman whimpered helplessly. The insides of her mother's head could easily be seen through the hole the bullet had made as more blood leaked from it.

"Daddy!?" the woman cried, turning to her father for what he had done.

He peered down at her, sneering sadistically. Cracks started to appear on his face. Pieces of skin fell off like egg shells. He appeared to be the same man yet a different person all at once. She tried to lift herself off the bed but felt restraint. When she looked to see what was pinning her down, she found herself no longer in a bed. She was strapped to an examination table.

The room had transformed into an infirmary. She had been in this room before. Her father's outfit had changed into that of a monk's. The terror in her rose and he laughed as she panicked and struggled against the straps. He then reached down to claim her as his...

"NOOO!"

The young woman's eyes shot open again. She took a sharp intake of breath and realised that she was alone. Panting as she looked around, she saw a blazing fireplace, a painting of a noble middle-aged man and a ticking grandfather clock. There was a door between the fireplace and a queen-sized bed that she was lying in. She was in a guest suite.

Reality came back to her and she sobbed, throwing her hands onto her face, willing herself to calm down after another cruel, traumatising nightmare. Not even her own dreams could provide sanctuary.

When her heart rate returned to normal, she pulled the thick quilt off and stood up, her light yellow nightdress spilling down her legs. Her bare feet jumped as it touched the freezing surface. Near the bed were windows from the ceiling to floor. One had a jagged hole, covered with an old sheet, like someone had smashed it. An incident she remembered well. No one had done anything to mend it. A breeze drifted in against it. Next to the windows was another painting of a younger nobleman. She walked down a small set of steps close to the grandfather clock and a third painting and towards undamaged windows. Beside them was an empty birdcage and a second door.

The view of freedom tempted her as it always did. Outside, past a wide courtyard was the castle front entrance. Two large gate doors impossible to climb with no handles. All it had was a single keyhole that was locked at all times. Behind that was a vast forest. Ahead of that were tall mountains. It was all she saw whenever she would get a glimpse of what was beyond this place. She doubted she would ever get to see what was behind those high hills. The woman sighed to herself, looking down at her hands.

Out of the blue, images of them stained with blood and a corpse lying on her lap flashed in her mind.

They made her shudder, her hands tightening into fists. She pressed them to her head, shaking it hard to try and make the memory go away. Her thoughts came to a halt when someone began to bash the door near the bed. Startled, she spun around with a light gasp.

"Open up!" a deep voice demanded through it.

The woman took a step back. She knew that voice yet it still surprised her. It was the mercenary that came to the castle a few months ago. A man that was not from the castle. She figured this by his choice of combat gear and military clothing. She never spoke to him directly before but his brute personality intimidated her.

Fearfully, she called out, "W-What do you want?"

* * *

Leon could see how hectic things were by the time he finally turned up at the office. People were rushing around in haste and he did not have the time to talk to any of them. It was the same with his last mission a year ago when he had to rescue the President's daughter, Ashley Graham, who was abducted and brought to Spain to a secret organisation called the Los Illuminados: an occult that used hive mind parasites known as Las Plagas to infect and enslave people for their cause. Victims became the 'Ganados'. They would lose all consciousness of themselves and be under the occult's absolute control. They would slaughter anyone mercilessly without awareness of their actions.

A simple job that was supposed to be a search and rescue lead to a full-scale mission that could have determined the fate of mankind. They infected Ashley and planned to send her back to America so that the parasites would spread to the most powerful departments within the government and then to the rest of the whole world. They had also infected him.

If not for Luis Sera, a researcher who lost his life helping them find a cure, a device that had them be exposed to special radiation, they would not be here to this day. When he and Ashley were extracted after the occult's demise, they both had to undergo a number of tests to determine that the parasites were eradicated from their bodies before they could return home. They were fortunate to learn that they appeared to be in the clear with no lasting effects. Leon just wished Luis didn't have to pay the price for their victory.

When he signed into the office, he was ordered to go straight to where the chief in command was waiting.

"Leon, thank you for coming in on such short notice," he greeted, gesturing the government agent to sit on the chair in front of his desk.

"It's no problem, sir," Leon replied as he sat down. "So, what's up?"

The chief rubbed his forehead. He seemed to be stressed.

"...Three months ago, we received an anonymous e-mail of concern. We're still trying to identify who sent it to us as we speak."

He took out a file from one of the drawers of his desk and handed it to Leon.

"Even though you confirmed that you killed one of our former agents, Jack Krauser, during the Los Illuminados event, the sender believes he may still be alive."

Leon looked up at the chief, wondering if he heard correctly. _"Krauser's... alive? But how is that possible?"_

"What?" he questioned.

"These photos came with the e-mail. As you can see, they are all of a male individual that match Krauser's description."

Leon flicked through each one. True to word, they were of a man with features similar to Krauser's, although he couldn't tell for sure if it truly was him. They were all in a grey scaled quality, taken somewhere from outside a building, pointing downward at various angles to a window where the man could be seen inside.

"They were taken at an isolated estate in Piedmont, Italy," the chief continued. "Its location wasn't known so we had to follow satellite co-ordinations provided by the e-mail. Whoever this anonymous person is must have connections, money... perhaps both. Shortly after, we dispatched a unit of five from our Spec Ops Field Unit to investigate this matter."

The chief then passed six more files to Leon.

"One of our own agents actually volunteered to participate in the mission when he learned of it."

"Volunteered?"

"Charles Dawson," said the chief, pointing to the top file in Leon's hand. "He stated that he once knew someone who had connections to the place years ago and also knew how to get there."

Leon opened the file and picked up a photo of a man in his early forties with blonde, ageing hair. The name rang a bell. He did not know Charles personally but was told good things. He was originally one of the soldiers of the US army that aided the response to the Raccoon City Outbreak back in 1998 and that, along with his other deeds to the country, was how he earned the opportunity to become an agent.

"We were receiving regular reports over the period from the Spec Ops soldier Ben Tyler but lost contact for a while until this morning. Unfortunately, the signal was too weak to determine his or any of their status."

"Forgive me for asking, sir," interrupted Leon. "But... why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"Because we don't have enough to prove that it really is Krauser or not. And considering your history with him, we didn't want to risk anything... Now, it seems we may have no choice. I want you to find our men and track this man down. If it is Krauser, it can pose a great threat. You of all people know that."

The government agent stared back at the chief in command, not feeling comfortable about it.

"If you make a positive ID... neutralise him."


	4. Chapter Three

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Three

Leon leaned back in his cushioned seat and glanced out of the window, watching the clouds fly by for a moment, already in a private plane flying straight towards Italy. He had little time to prepare after talking to the chief. He then continued to re-read the files given to him. He had to memorize as much information from them as he could.

Agent Charles Dawson was assigned to be the team's leader. Born in England, his family moved to the US when he was young. His mother was British and his father was American, a military man. Naturally, he wanted to follow in his footsteps and signed up for the army shortly after graduating from high school. His career escalated from there over the years to the point when he became a government agent. Highly intelligent, he had a strong sense of duty and knew how to stay calm under any circumstances.

Second in command was Captain Nicholas Edmondson. He was the most experienced combat and weapons specialist amongst the five Spec Op soldiers and had been in charge of many missions before this one. Aged thirty six, he had an ebony crew-cut hairstyle and sharp hazel eyes. A sense of leadership could be seen in his expression that matched Charles'.

Adam Fitzgerald was the group's medic and field scientist. Having lost family members to the Raccoon outbreak, he dedicated his life to the fight against Bio-Organic Weapons (B.O.W.s). He specialised in studying them out on the battlefield and his findings would be sent to branches such as the government, the Federal Bioterrorism Commission (F.B.C.) and the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (B.S.A.A.). This would be a useful asset if the target actually was Krauser. He was twenty nine and had auburn hair and brown eyes.

Garret Newman's responsibility was to be the group's technical support. This was decided to be a precaution because Krauser was known to use gadgets, reported by Leon himself after his last encounter with the former agent. His hair was dark brown, his skin had a light tan and his eyes were a deep shade of amber. He was twenty seven years old and was described as cocky yet good natured by his peers. He was also quite skilled with a knife.

Surveillance went to David Baxter. With little to no knowledge of the estate they were to investigate, they had to be prepared for any possible threats. He had been a part of missions that collaborated with the F.B.C. in the past. His green eyes had flecks of bronze which stood out under his brunette locks. He was thirty and a father of two.

Ben Tyler was the youngest of the group, aged twenty four and youthful facial features. His face was sprinkled with freckles and he had baby blue eyes along with chestnut locks. He was their communications expert and was to document as much as he could in their pursuit of the target. He was promoted to the Spec Ops Field Unit earlier that year and was proud of it, wanting to do his part to make the world a safer place.

Each member had their roles to play, taking this mission seriously whether the target was Jack Krauser or not. He was labelled as a traitor, shifting his allegiance to the last of the international pharmaceutical company Umbrella Inc. They were the ones who caused the Raccoon City Outbreak, creating viruses that turned people into literal zombies or monsters, known today as B.O.W.s. Hundreds of lives were lost because of them. Leon knew first hand, being trapped in that hellish nightmare when he was just a naive police officer.

When the government came to the conclusion that the city was beyond saving, they had to destroy it using missile nukes. It was nothing but a wasteland and a bad memory for everyone throughout world. Survivors were able to speak up, revealing the truth about Umbrella's involvement and the company was finally brought to justice after trials that lasted until 2003. Yet after the fallout of Umbrella's collapse, their B.O.W.s began to appear on the black market and in the hands of terrorists. Few of its followers who remained loyal to the company went into hiding, including one of its deadliest associates, Albert Wesker. And Krauser joined them. Leon couldn't understand why.

"_Neutralise... A nice word for 'kill',"_ he thought bitterly to himself.

He honestly had no idea of what to think about Krauser being alive. He found it hard to believe, thinking back to the last time he saw him. One would never think that they used to be friends.

Three years ago in 2002, the Veronica Virus had been unleashed at a little village in South America. Leon and Krauser were partnered up to hunt down Javier Hidalgo, a drug lord that had pursued Umbrella. As they fought against the creatures to survive, they found his daughter, Manuela Hidalgo who ran away from him. It turned out that she contracted a fatal disease and Umbrella gave him a sample of the virus. To save her life and prevent her from transforming after injecting her with it, he had a number of girls around her age abducted and their organs transplanted regularly to keep the virus at bay.

In the end, Javier allowed himself to become infected so he could annihilate the agents. The two, along with Manuela obtaining control of the virus she carried, were able to put an end to his tyranny. She was taken into the custody of the US government. At first she was scared but was compliant, willing to help them understand the virus within her if it meant it could save lives. Nowadays she was living comfortably under their care, though she still trying to cope the mental scars from the ordeal. As for Krauser, his arm was severely damaged after that mission. There was no chance of recovery and he was forced to retire early against his will. It was a huge blow for the soldier.

When Leon went to go and visit him in the hospital, he was in no mood for a friendly chat. Instead, he lashed out and they got into a heated argument. At the time, Leon thought he was just angry, venting and projecting his frustrations onto him. So he left him be, thinking he would need the space to cool down before they could talk another day. Only that didn't happen, as he was told Krauser died in a plane crash some time afterwards. Leon felt awful when he found out, regretting not talking to him sooner.

What no one knew until 2004 was that Krauser had actually faked his death.

During the Los Illuminados event, Leon discovered he was alive and it was him who kidnapped Ashley Graham in order to gain the trust of the occult's head leader, Osmund Saddler. In the middle of a war zone filled with Ganados, Krauser staged an arena at a sand fortress in an attempt to kill him. It was then that he learned Krauser had given in to the temptation of Las Plagas and the power it could give. Somehow, he was able to avoid falling under its manipulative control like the leaders Bitores Mendez, Ramon Salazar and Saddler himself.

However, despite Krauser's efforts, it was Leon who managed to have the upper hand. He was the victor of their battle. There was no way Krauser could survive such injuries. His chest had a hole that reached to his heart due to the parasites crumbling inside of him.

Even so, Leon knew he had to accept the possibility. The horrors he had seen as both a rookie cop and a government agent made him aware of the capabilities done by man. A part of him didn't feel too keen about this mission. Perhaps it was because he was still annoyed at the fact that his supervisors never told him about the whole issue to begin with. Of course, he was concerned for the missing team, as everyone else was, and he was willing to find them.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kennedy..."

Leon blinked and glanced at the stewardess addressing him.

"We're about to land shortly," she said. "Please be sure to pack away your belongings and to put your seat belt back on."

"Oh, sure."

The stewardess smiled as he did as instructed and carried on past his seat.

After landing, Leon walked down the steps, thanking the pilot and got a surprise seeing none other than Ingrid Hunnigan waiting a few feet in front of him. Behind her were two men that fit the stereotype of a classic bodyguard, wearing black suits and shades.

"You know, you could have told me you'd be here instead of pulling a hocus-pocus act," Leon retorted lightly, shrugging his bag over his shoulder so it wouldn't fall.

Hunnigan adjusted her glasses, her behaviour as serious as ever.

"I apologise for not notifying you about my presence, Leon. As you can probably tell, I will be your communication officer again for this mission."

* * *

Not wasting any time, they headed off to their base to brief Leon with more details and went straight to business as soon as they arrived. Images and maps were displayed on a projection screen on the wall. Hunnigan held a red laser pointer in her hand.

"We marked a perimeter around the location." An image taken from a birds-eye view was expanded and moved to the centre of the screen. There was a circle marked and inside was a building surrounded by trees inside and out of a ring of mountains. "And these shots were taken by our men before they entered the premises."

They were close to the building. The walls were made of stone and reached up high with pointed rooftops.

"It looks like a castle," noted Leon. It reminded him of the Salazar Castle.

"Yes, it does. These ones were taken from the inside."

The photos shown next were of various rooms one would imagine in an old castle, each well-furnished, yet were dark and gloomy. Cobwebs and dirt covered everything.

"We don't know for sure exactly how many are residing there other than the target but we suspect they could be hostile."

She flicked to the next image which disturbed Leon. It was of a woman with lavender hair and inhumanly pale skin. She was wearing an emerald dress and had an apron tied around her slim waist. She must have been a maid. A large shard of glass was pierced through her chest between her breasts and pinned her to the ground in a standing position, her back arching as her arms hung out-wide. Blood poured down her body, the glass and along the ground past other segments of glass. The thing that made the photo most disturbing was that the dead woman had tears of blood on her face... and she was smiling, grinning from ear to ear.

"I want you to be careful out there, Leon," Hunnigan added. "It is clearly dangerous in there. One of our men had a camera on him and thanks to that, we are aware that the manor is infested with death traps. You have experience in handling those, so I trust you'll be able to evade them."

"_Great...!"_ Leon thought sarcastically.

"Obviously, we also suspect that the residents could be held accountable for the disappearance of the team. So please do proceed with caution."

"A hidden castle in the middle of nowhere filled with traps... sounds like a big 'Keep Out' sign," Leon commented dryly.

Hunnigan nodded in agreement. "Apparently so."

"How do I get there, then?"

To answer his question, she typed in a few buttons on a keyboard connected to the projector and the screen returned to the image above the castle. After typing in a few more, the circle was removed and the screen zoomed out further.

"Agent Dawson informed us of an enclosed town called Versante up north to the manor," she said, pointing the laser to it, then down to the castle.

"There is a path leading to a trail through the forest that will take you there. You will be escorted close to Versante but from there, you'll have to make your way on foot using that path. You mustn't let your presence become known once you reach the estate, at least not so soon. Do you think you can handle it?"

Yeah," Leon replied.

"Good. We have another group stationed close to the south of the estate monitoring and updating whatever we can get. I will be positioned there when you begin your mission. You have all of your equipment including your firearm and radio prepared, so be sure to report as much as you can. A back-up team is also set should anything go wrong. Call them right away if you deem it necessary. We have no clue on what these people can do, especially if Krauser really is involved in this."

"Got it."

Later that day, as the afternoon became the evening, Leon was dropped off at Versante as scheduled.

The little town was peaceful and quiet. Trees with their green leaves that faded and became dry due to the changing of seasons were tall and right up close to the rural town's edges, making it feel secluded and private. In the distance, more trees were spotted on the mountains. The townsfolk were living their daily lives, not paying any mind to him even though he stood out like a sore thumb. Some were heading to their destinations, shopkeepers at the market called out to potential customers. As Leon strolled by a few children playing soccer, he smiled, almost feeling envious of the simple lifestyle everyone there was fortunate to have.

Using a GPS that was installed into his radio, he followed directions to the far end of Versante. The further Leon got, the fewer the amount of people could be seen. He saw an open pathway that thinned down to the trail into the forest that Hunnigan spoke of. A long split-rail fence stretched far and wide across the path. He walked towards it and the people around noticed this with shock in their eyes, whispering to each other.

"Cosa sta facendo lui?"

"Non può entrare lì dentro lui!"

Leon was now aware of the people staring at him. His muscle memory almost itched for his handgun, reminded of the village in Spain infected with the parasites that suddenly attacked him out of nowhere. One man with black hair and a light stubble felt compelled to speak up to the passing visitor, unlike the others who were too afraid to take a step close to the path.

"Scusi," he called out, which succeeded for Leon stopped and turned to him.

"Hai un desiderio di morte?"

"Pardon me?" asked Leon who looked confused.

"Ah, you... speak English?" he asked in return, picking up on the American's accent.

"Yeah, I do," he answered, relieved of not having an awkward conversation between two languages. "Sorry, I only know a few Italian words."

"It's fine but... you must be new here. Otherwise you would know better about the road you stand on."

"What do you mean?"

"No one dares to enter the Caos Foresta. Many years ago, people were known to vanish there, especially women. Even now, rumours still stir within Versante."

Leon looked at him sceptically, wondering if those words had any connections to the missing Spec Ops unit or if he was just trying to mess with him. It sounded like one of those cliché warnings in a scary story. He nodded his head, not wanting to be rude regardless.

"I appreciate it, but I've got no choice. I'm searching for a group that may have come through here. Maybe you or someone else might have seen them?"

The man gave a raised eyebrow of his own. "Are you some kind of police officer or a detective?"

Leon chuckled as he reached into his pocket. "Not exactly..."

He took out six photographs and presented them to the man. The other people kept their distance as they continued to watch warily. The man flicked through each one, not recognising any of them until he saw the last photo.

"Now that's a face I never thought I'd see again," he spoke in awe.

"Which one?"

Leon tilted his head and realised that it was Charles' picture. The man gave the photos back to him.

"We hardly ever get any visitors. He came here about twenty years ago. I was just a boy, then. He was asking around, claiming to be looking for his sister. I heard my father tell him that he saw her going with someone into Caos Foresta."

"Did he find her?" Leon inquired.

The man shrugged. "I'm not sure. He went into the forest and I never again saw him after that."

"I see."

The agent glanced back at the forest in thought, making a mental note to relay the information with Hunnigan later. He had no idea that Charles came all the way to a town like this for such a reason. Yet he knew he couldn't afford to lose time whilst on the job.

"Well, thank you for your cooperation. I gotta get going."

The men tensed at first but soon his shoulders dropped. "I guess I cannot change your mind... You're really going in there alone?"

"I've been through worse. Trust me on that one..."

"Then... I wish you luck. But now I think you're crazy."

Leon smirked to his humour and waved goodbye before walking towards the fence and hoist himself over it. The townsfolk kept their sight on him for a couple of seconds before heading back into the village, feeling disheartened for him. He was surprised they didn't say or do anything to stop him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" the man yelled out as he entered the forest.

He truly did wish the newcomer a safe journey, uncomfortable with letting him wonder off to a place that haunted Versante for centuries...

* * *

The forest had to be much bigger than the birds-eye image implied. It was going on forever. He must have been travelling for what felt like a few hours. During that time, he let Hunnigan know about the man and what he had told him and she promised that she would dig more into Versante's history. The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the land. His feet were tired as he climbed up the grounds that kept on growing. He relied on the GPS to show him the way, leaning against a tree to take a breather and a drink from a water flask he had on him. After resting for a minute, enjoying the view and sounds of nature, he carried on, looking down the cliffs he walked close to.

Leon soon came across a mark on another tree. He brushed his fingers along the trunk. It appeared to have been damaged by a gunshot. Behind it, he saw stone walls in the distance through the other trees that were cramped together.

He brought out his binoculars to get a closer look, zooming in. He was certain it was the castle. He saw red windows but it was too thick to see inside. Directly ahead was a wide area with mirrored stairs leading up to lampposts and pillars in front of large double doors. To stay safe, he switched to his gun and made his way forward, using the trees and bushes for cover. He remained low and crept down a hill, almost slipping over a couple of damp leaves. After maintaining his balance once he reached the bottom, he was more careful not to cause any forms of disturbance to trigger any traps or to alert anyone there.

As he got closer, he thought he could hear something, like an animal whining. He hid behind a hedge and peeked over it. There was a white German Shepherd dog scrapping his paw against one of the double doors. His fur was filthy and wrapped around one of his back legs was an old bandage. It resembled a dog of the same breed Leon saved from a bear trap when he was on his last mission. Now that he thought about it, the bandage was on the same leg the other had its leg caught in.

"_This can't be the same dog, could it?"_

The space between him and the dog was too far apart so he didn't think he should risk going over. Close by was a sign post that read 'Chaos Forest'.

"_No one dares to enter the Caos Foresta."_

The man's warning... Once someone went in, they wouldn't come out, he practically said. Did it really have something to do with the manor? Before Leon could think about it anymore, he saw someone lying on the ground soaked in blood. He quickly rushed over and knelt down beside him. It was one of the missing men... Ben Tyler. There was a deep slash across his neck and a rotten smell coming from him which attracted insects indicated he had been dead for a while. Leon covered his nose and shifted back, grabbing his radio and spoke in a low voice when Hunnigan answered.

"Hunnigan, I'm outside the location and I've found Ben. He's dead... It looks like someone slit his throat."

Through the screen, he could see sympathy wash over her. She nodded despondently.

"**I'll report this. You hurry and find the rest. They could still be alive."**

"I will. Leon out."

They both hung up after that and he put the radio away. He was soon distracted when he heard something creep behind him. On instinct, he spun around in a flash with his dagger ready but blinked and lowered the weapon immediately seeing the white German Shepherd right in front of him. His chocolate brown eyes gave him an identical look of recognition.

"Hey there," Leon greeted softly.

He presented his hand to allow the dog to smell it, his wet nose brushing over his palm. The dog walked forward and sat on the spot next to him, looking at the corpse and back at him, whining sadly. Leon slowly rested his hand over the dog's back.

"I know, horrible."

Leon stared at the dog, wondering what he was doing out in the forest on his own. If this was the same dog, how did he get from Spain all the way over here?

"_This dog's probably had one hell of an adventure...!"_

The German Shepherd then got up on all fours and turned back towards the manor. Leon stood as he barked to him in a signal to follow.

"Something you wanna show me, boy?"

He didn't feel right about leaving Tyler the way he was. He always hated walking away from the bodies of innocent victims but he knew there was nothing he could do. Reluctantly, he tagged along the dog who did not return to the manor's entrance. Instead, they went past to the right beside the walls. He noticed his bandaged leg slightly stooped as he strode ahead of him but was stopping by any means.

They kept on going and found a black bar fence with a graveyard behind a smaller fence. Leon could see an incinerator within a narrow gap to the side. He hid against the little brick wall below the fence as he inspected the place. From the left corner were stairs leading up to a door. There were many uneven gravestones, some broken because of overgrowing branches from bushes.

Leon heard the dog bark again. The canine was pointing his head to a gap at the bottom of the wall, trying to dig at an already-made hole underneath the bricks. It was blocked on the other side by a crate. Leon's brows frowned. It was like someone was trying to prevent entry... Prevent this dog from coming in?

He held one bars to the fence in his hand and glanced up. There were no barb wires at the top. He could easily climb over it. Leaning down, he rubbed the dog's head between his ears in thanks, hoping he would be better off in the forest than the dangers of the castle. As he lifted himself over into the graveyard, his knees bending as he landed, the dog began to yap in protest, refusing to be left alone in the woods. Leon gazed at him, feeling bad as he listened to his howling pleas. So he pushed the crate out of the way and the dog instantly crawled through, shaking his fur once he was on the other side.

Leon moved to hide behind the stairs. Looking at the gravestones, he observed that they all read the name 'Aureolus Belli'. The earliest birth and death dates engraved dated back to the 1500s.

"_Belli? Isn't that the same name as...?"_

Leon shook his head to himself, taking the thought as a mere coincidence. There was another graveyard at the other side of a different fence but the gate to it was locked by a sturdy padlock. He figured he should start by going up the stairs. The dog remained close to him. Luckily for them, the door was unlocked. Still, he wasn't going to drop his guard for a second.

They stepped into a long corridor with dull red lights, the entire room engulfed by its colour. The floor had square tiles and there were several gate doors. It would be enough to slow anyone down. They went through each one and Leon closed them all behind him, making sure not to leave any changes to arouse suspicion if anyone was to come here. There were also broken vase pieces between the doors as well as an empty chair.

When he opened the final door, they found a U-shaped balcony over an entrance hall. It had to be the inside of the double doors from outside. Down below, another door opened and Leon quickly ducked against the wall. Someone came in, sighing as they closed that door. The dog's nose twitched and his ears perked up. He then began to bark out loud, alarming Leon.

"Hewie...?" a feminine voice called, soft and elegant.

The dog barked again in response.

"Hewie!"

The person dashed across the room past a marble statue and through a second door. The dog continued to bark and took off before Leon could do anything.

"Hey!"

He followed the dog who ran into an old laboratory with an unusual machine. Leon's footsteps slowed as he looked at it in puzzlement, spotting a face at the top of it. The dog was desperately scratching at another door with a window and he opened it for him, baffled by the canine's eager behaviour. He watched the dog rush across a smaller corridor and down some stairs at a corner to the person from the hall who caught up with him.

"Hewie! You're alive!"

Leon hid at the corner and peered around it carefully. The person was a young woman with platinum blonde hair wearing a long yellow dress. She was on her knees hugging the white German Shepherd tightly, crying into his neck. The dog was just as overjoyed to see her. He couldn't stop licking her and his tail was wagging wildly with excitement.

"_Guess he must be her dog."_ thought Leon. _"Who is she?"_

He was sure he had seen her somewhere before. The woman leaned back and at that moment, she caught him spying on her and gasped. She got up and ran away, calling the confused dog who left with her.

"_Damn it!"_ Leon went after her. "Wait!"

He had to catch up to her. If she was one of the residents that was a part of the team's disappearance, she could alert others about him. She was fast, even in the dress that was restraining her movement. He pushed himself so he wouldn't lose sight of her. Leon chased her down a semi-circular path with pillars and saw them running through a grey door next to a set of drawers and a wardrobe. When he ran in, he found them at the other side.

"Debilitas, no!" the woman yelled.

As soon as Leon entered the hall, a huge disfigured hunchback of a man came charging towards him with a loud roar and rammed a massive fist across his face. He cried out to the painful contact and was sent flying to the ground.

Groaning with agony, he rolled onto his back. His head was ringing and dizziness swirled like a tornado. White dots danced before his eyes as he tried to open them. Although his sight was blurry and doubled, he could see his attacker stomp towards him. The hunchback grunted heavily with distrust. Without any warning, he raised his hands together to crush the agent's skull. Leon's chest tightened, unable to move away.

"Stop!" the woman protested as the dog at her side snapped angrily.

The hunchback froze upon hearing her demand. He stared at her and his hands slowly sunk before snarling back at Leon who was still struggling to recover. The woman held her breath as she waited to see what he would do next. To her relief, he stood upright and bowed to her as though she was royalty. And just like that, he simply left. She sighed heavily and then gaped at the stranger lying on the floor. His head was on top of a patch of dry blood stained into the carpet. Lifting a hand above her bosom, she cautiously approached him.

Leon saw her now standing over him through his hazy vision. _"Who... are you?"_

A door abruptly burst open, startling the young woman. Two men stormed in and the dog growled at them. One was big and muscular, the target. He grabbed her arm and dragged her away with ease. Leon heard the dog bark and run after them. The second was dressed in something entirely brown with a hood over his head. He walked up to the government agent and glared down at him.

Leon's sight was fading to black and gradually, he fell unconscious with the mysterious woman lingering in his mind...

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

**Versante is a fictional location of my own creation as well as Agent Charles Dawson and the Spec Ops unit. Honestly, I don't speak Italian and I don't know anybody who does. I looked around a number of translation websites, not wanting to rely on Google Translate alone, and more or less got the same result with each one. I also did reverse translations to make sure they came out either correctly or close enough. I apologise if there are any errors for those it may bother.**

Translations...  
"Cosa sta facendo lui?" = "What is he doing?"  
"Non può entrare lì dentro lui!" = "He can't go in there!"  
"Scusi," = "Excuse me,"  
"Hai un desiderio di morte?" = "Do you have a death wish?"

Review Responses:

evolution-500 - Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter ^-^


	5. Chapter Four

**Hello! Sorry for the delay. I had become distracted by the release of the remakes of Resident Evil 3 and Final Fantasy 7, as well as Resident Evil: Resistance. I did have Chapter Four uploaded in Ao3, as well as a fanmade RE/HG crossover video there which is a remade version of an old one. **

**Chapter Five is also complete so I am uploading both now to make up for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Four

Time felt as slow as always for the young woman yet somehow so different. Her dog was patiently lying on his side as she examined his leg. His fur was more smooth and brighter, no longer dirty when she managed to take him to a restroom and bathe him as best as she could. Not long after, Krauser came and locked them both in the guest suite. The two were able to be at ease when he was finally gone.

"How did you survive out there on your own, Hewie?" she whispered to him.

He had to have been in the Chaos Forest for a few months, so it was a wonder he didn't look skinny in any way. Did he find a source of food to keep himself alive for that long? She recalled seeing wild rabbits there. She didn't know but either way he appeared to be healthy and behaved the way he usually did.

The wound healed over time but she was concerned about the slight limping when he walked. It was miraculous that it didn't look infected and he was capable of running, so that had to mean something good. Just to be safe, she wrapped a fresh bandage around his leg and then picked up a cylinder tube she left on the bedside table. Next to it was a lamp and a key with a symbol on it of the planetary sign of Saturn. A label on the tube's lid said 'Magna Esca'. She took it from the nearby kitchen before giving Hewie a bath. After opening it, she poured a small amount of a special concoction made specifically for dogs onto her palm, kneeling on the floor to offer it to him which he was thrilled to take.

A ghost of a smile graced her face as he ate. How happy she was to have him at her side her again. It had been so long since she felt such joy. At first she wondered if she had truly gone mad when she heard him barking in the mansion's entrance hall. That man must have been the one who let him into the castle. How else could Hewie have gotten in? She was eternally grateful. But now she felt terrible for that man had been caught because of her. It was not her intention. Shaking her head, she placed the tube back, picking up the key and took a seat in a red wingback chair.

When Hewie was finished, he looked up at her and tilted his head. There was something about her that wasn't right even though he couldn't understand what it was. He just knew that she had changed. As she twisted the key in circles between her fingers, he rested his head on her knee with puppy eyes. The corners of her colourless lips faintly curled and she gently rubbed the back of his ear.

The door behind them was beginning to unlock and her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She stuffed the key under the cushion of the chair, placing her hands on the armrests and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep as Hewie leapt into a cautious stance for whoever was about to come through that door. She didn't need to look to know who it was.

The hooded man strolled into the suite and stood in front of her. He watched her softly with a warm stare for an agonising moment and then leaned to caress her cheek. He kept going, trailing along her neck, her chest, over her breasts and down to her belly. She shuddered in repulse to his touch, trying her best not to clutch the armrests tighter and instead reacted to move slightly, like she was only shifting in her sleep.

Riccardo's expression faltered when he noticed Hewie who was watching him suspiciously. He glared at him before chuckling at the woman, seeing through her act.

"The mercenary shall escort you in ten minutes," he said to her and left, making sure the door was locked once more.

* * *

The feeling was not pleasant at all for Leon when he was starting to come to. A pounding headache thumped in his head and he groaned, massaging his temples to soothe the pain, not that it was doing much help.

He soon became aware that he was lying on something soft yet uncomfortable. He could feel things poking his back. When his senses were more in focus, he pried his eyelids open and found himself in a shack. The walls beside him were made with old sheets of zinc metal, worn and covered in rust and dirt. The ceiling was made of wood. They were built against a stone wall and over the ground. Patches of dry grass clung along the bottom of the walls. He sat up and realised he was on a filthy bed. Springs were sticking out of the flat mattress. No wonder his back was aching. Leon got up and tried to stretch his muscles, making himself wince.

There was a strange display before him. Behind tattered, sheer fabric tied to the ceiling's boards was a board that lay on top of a pile of boxes to form what he figured to be a makeshift altar. On each end were candles and in the middle was a cloth with a skull, a teddy bear, flowers, cards and other random knick knacks. The wall above it had unusual framed pictures and yellow frilly material dangled around them. Next to the altar were more flowers, dolls and other cuddly toys scattered along the floor. Most were grubby and broken.

"Where am I?"

As the question was spoken out loud, it hit him that he was still alive. That woman... She had to have been the one who saved him from that big guy. Wait—those other men. They could have easily killed him but they didn't. That could mean they want something from him. Were Agent Dawson the rest of the Spec Ops unit captured somewhere in the castle, too?

"_I better contact Hunnigan."_

When Leon reached for the pocket that held his radio, he was puzzled after his hand grasped nothing. He looked down and saw that it was empty. So was the holster that carried his gun, his attaché pack connected to the back of his belt with extra magazine clips... Even his dagger was missing. He checked his jacket's pockets, including the inside ones, and they were empty as well. His entire inventory was gone.

"_These guys are smarter than the ones from the Los Illuminados."_

Now he couldn't report to Hunnigan and he couldn't call for back-up either. It was history being repeated all over again.

"Perfect, looks like I'm on my own for now..."

He walked up to the door to leave but it wouldn't open. It barely did, locked on the outside by a small, flimsy padlock. So to solve this problem, he took a couple of steps backwards and charged forward, breaking it off and busted the door wide open with a powerful high kick. Once he was out, he took in his surroundings.

The sky had darkened into night. There was a barrel lit with fire by the edge of a brick wall and a pile of buckets were tucked close to the shack. Ahead were lampposts with gnats buzzing around them and a platform with ladders leading up to somewhere. With little options on his side, he decided to explore the area. He needed to find a weapon fast.

As one foot moved in front of the other, thoughts of the woman came floating back to him. There was something familiar about her. He couldn't put his finger on it. First she ran away from him and then she saved his life. Why would she do that when she seemed to be afraid of him?

He walked around the platform and saw a courtyard with a tunnel at the right and a raised gate to the left. Before he could decide which way to go first, footsteps were heard coming towards him so he hid behind the platform. Judging by the sound, there were two people.

"When you're done scouting, return Miss Belli to the mansion," said one of them.

Leon strained his ears to listen better. Male, possibly middle aged.

"...and see to it that you lock her in her chambers. I doubt she will be any trouble but now that the mutt is with her again, I do not want her to attempt another escape. That thing should be harmless now, though. You saw the way she begged for the four-legged beast to be spared."

They actually threatened to kill the dog? Leon frowned in disapproval. He didn't know who this man was but he was already starting to sound like a real asshole. He had to be talking about that blonde woman. Was she being held hostage here? The man let out a wicked laugh.

"How ironic it is that her precious canine is what helps us keep her in line..."

The footsteps and voice faded and were soon gone. Leon took the left path under the gate when the coast was clear, the opposite direction of where the other people went off to. There were a few more barrels in a row in front of a door with statues at each side of it. Further on were some stairs. He walked up to the door and opened it as quietly as he could, uncertain of what or who could be on the other side. He went in and found a small lounge. It was dark due to the lack of light.

A tall, golden harp that was four times his height was seen and behind it was a collection of violins. A music room, maybe? A fallen bookshelf lay on the diamond chequered floor yet the rest of the furniture didn't appear to be misplaced. At the back below a balcony high above were fancy chairs, a sofa and a table with a candle holder. He about to carry on until something caught his eye in the shadows at the back of the room...

"What the hell?"

On the sofa was a human-sized figure of a pregnant woman, her hand on her swollen abdomen. He went past the table towards it and knelt on his knee to get a closer look. On the floor next to it was a sheet lying on the floor, covered in dust as through it had been there for a while.

"_Creepy..."_

Whoever carved it took a lot of time with painstaking devotion. It was far too detailed to be made out of something as a mere hobby, especially the face. The button nose was smoothly shaped. There was a small dimple on the chin and the hair lightly curled in separate strands at the back of the neck. It almost looked real... Like it could come to life.

* * *

The woman opened her eyes. Her mind was still bothered about the stranger. After Riccardo ordered Debilitas to take him away, she followed the hunchback and discreetly asked to take him somewhere safe. She wasn't sure where Debilitas took him but she hoped he was alright. Riccardo would have killed him if it weren't for Krauser intervening. The mercenary claimed to know him and had a score to settle.

It may have bought the man some time but how much did he have before Krauser or even Riccardo would come for him? The one who reunited her with Hewie was in danger. She had to do something.

Forcing herself to ignore the thoughts of what happened last time, she pulled out the key she had hidden and then gazed at her gown. She would need to move fast but it would not be easy wearing a long dress. As she thought of it, an idea came to her and she got up from her seat to a set of drawers by the bed, putting the key on top of it. A pair of knee-length boots sat on the floor next to it. She opened the top drawer and inside was a memorable medieval white dress with a purple mini skirt.

The sleeves were puffy down to the elbows, each of them had three strips of brown cloth with matching designs embroidered into them from below the shoulders, the middle and the cuffs at her wrists. There was a fourth one that was thinner at the square collar over a blue stone attached to the silky material. She hadn't worn it in a while but it was still in fine condition. She was never one to wear such short clothing, remember feeling self conscious when she first wore the dress but she couldn't deny that it did make moving about less difficult.

She held the dress up, thinking carefully about the consequences her actions could bring... just like before. Things were bound to go wrong if she was going to help the man but she couldn't sit still and do nothing. Pushing out the painful memories, she laid the dress on the bed and began to change.

Along with the dress were black knee-high stockings and she slid them on after placing the gown into the drawer. She dressed into the white one. A majority of her back was exposed with blue ribbons at bottom that she fastened into a bow and put the boots on last. How strange it felt to be wearing the outfit again. It still fit her well, feeling tight at her chest, being a busty woman and all. Near the key was a blue hair tie and she used it to pull her hair into a ponytail.

When she was done, she dusted herself and tucked the key into one of her boots. She then turned to Hewie. She was about to say something to him until the door unlocked again and Krauser entered the room.

"Time to go."

* * *

Leon couldn't help but feel annoyed as he continued his search through the castle. How long would it be for Hunnigan or anyone else to take the hint that he wouldn't be calling in any time soon? He at least hoped that this place didn't have any viruses or parasites to worry about... dare he jinx it.

After passing a garden with a well, he went through another door and walked down a corridor past a grandfather clock and a second door without a doorknob but had hooks instead. He found a third door and inside was a kitchen. It would be a great start to find a weapon.

He examined some of the cutlery left on the counter and picked up one of the chef knives. The silver blade was eight inches long. He slashed the air with it a few times to test its reliability for combat. It seemed decent enough to use. It would have to do for the time being. He was able to fit it into his dagger sheath. He was about to go through the next door when he heard a creaking noise behind the one he came from, followed by the sound of that dog barking.

"Get moving...!" a voice commanded, muffled through the door.

Leon stopped in his tracks, recognising it right away. _"That's..."_

Krauser. It was him. It had to be.

When he could no longer hear anything, he slowly twisted the handle silently and opened it a little to look out into the corridor. There was no one to be seen so he stepped out and noticed that the door with hooks was open. Withdrawing the knife into his hand, he pressed his back to the wall, knowing it was best not to go in just yet. He peeked in and saw a group on the other side of lowered bars. Another door behind it was also open, concealing their identities apart from an arm reaching for a lever connected to a break box on the wall and pushed it up. A light blue switched on beside it and they shut the door behind them.

Keeping the knife close to him, he snuck inside and proceeded to follow. Large dolls and marionette pieces were nailed to the walls all over the place and even more dangled from the ceiling. The room was dimly lit, illuminating them in a freakish way. He circled a wall in the centre but came to a halt when he saw a rug with a massive eye on the floor. On the centre wall were many stone eyes that were closed. Directly opposite were more pinned dolls, only these were coated with splattered blood. An alarm triggered in his head. Something wasn't right about this room. With his eyes on the lever, he crouched down and flattened his palm on the floorboards. He could feel a faint vibration beneath it.

"...Gonna have to try better than this," he mumbled before standing back up.

Taking in a deep breath, he stepped back before sprinting forward, leaping over the rug. In an instant, all of the eyes clicked open and thick needles shot out of the pupils, just missing him. He landed safely rolling on the other side without a scratch. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the needles had stabbed the bloody dolls, and then to the door in front of him when he heard the dog growling.

"Get that damn thing to shut up!" Krauser's voice demanded.

"...It's okay, Hewie," said a second voice, quieter than the first.

It was the woman. Leon waited a bit more before going in. If this man was Krauser, she and the dog couldn't be safe with him. Plus he owed her for helping him. He kept on their trail across the castle, passing through a grand foyer up a wide staircase, close to keep them in his sight yet staying back far enough time so they would not become aware of him spying on them.

Neither the target nor the woman spoke but the air was full of stress and anxiety. Whenever she was stalling, he would shove her forward, making her stumble which made the dog angry. He growled at him every time he was being rough with her. Leon could see that she was trying to keep her dog calm whilst keeping her own cool. Leon didn't like how the man how the man was treating her either.

They soon came to a nursery with a crib, a rocking horse, a cage with a doll inside and lots of toys everywhere. Past that was a humongous hall. A nexus staircase was at one half of it down to a lower floor. At the other was a diorama of knights and a horse. Mounted to the walls were various ancient decorative weapons and suits of armour. They were all stuck in position so Leon was positive he would not be able to use any of them. Not without making a racket.

To the left was another balcony. A piece of railing was missing at the end. He hid low there with his eyes focused on them as they went to the floor below. He couldn't see them when they were underneath him. The woman's steps slowed again and the muscular man was becoming frustrated.

"I said get moving!"

She didn't respond and it irritated him further. He spun her around and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her to the wall. She let out a small cry as the dog barked viciously, warning him to let her go.

"When I say get moving," the man snapped. "I don't mean stand there like an idiot."

The canine's growling grew louder as Leon stood up.

"I swear if you don't silence this dog—"

Before the target could finish his threat, the woman began to struggle and broke out of his grasp, pushing him away and took the chance to flee.

"You little bitch!" he shouted at her.

He ran after her and the dog. Leon immediately jumped down to help them. He pursued them outside to a backyard.

The woman dashed past the rubble of a collapsed balcony but tripped over a crack in the pavement and fell to the ground. The dog rushed to her aid, snarling at the mercenary when he was right behind her. She rolled herself onto her back, shaking fearfully at him. As she shuffled backwards, he grinned, slowly taking out his dagger.

"Now, are you going to behave yourself?"

Instead of saying anything, her eyes widened seeing someone behind him. Leon came racing straight towards them and yanked him away from her, throwing him back to stand between them with his knife held high. He finally saw the target's face and had his suspicions confirmed.

Leon glared at him. "Krauser! So you are alive..."

Krauser composed himself and laughed as the woman got up over shaking legs. She wanted to take this chance to run but she couldn't bring herself to.

"Good to see you again, comrade," he taunted.

"What are you even doing here? Was Hell not good enough for you!?"

Krauser scoffed and then suddenly lunged at him with his dagger. The woman gasped and Leon countered the assault with the knife. She moved away as he fought back against him and her dog continued to bark at the conflict. She felt helpless as she watched the men battle fiercely.

Leon's quick reflexes were able to deflect every attack. Blades chipped against each other yet failed to touch flesh. Krauser slashed at him again but Leon ducked and kicked his side hard. He fell down and grunted with fury in his eyes. When he flipped back on his feet, his left arm started to pulp rapidly like a beating heart. Parts of its skin shot up in small spikes. The woman's hands covered her mouth in horror. Through clenched teeth, he reached behind his back and pulled out a submachine gun.

As he aimed it directly at them, Leon knew they would have to get out of there. He grabbed her hand, dragging her away out of harm's way. "Come on—Let's go!"

Krauser fired and she shrieked under the noise of the blast. The three dodged the speeding bullets and vanished around a corner. The gun clicked, empty of its ammunition as steam rose from the barrel. He groaned angrily, tossing it to the ground before chasing after them.

They stopped at a blue door. Leon realised they were at the other end of the tunnel he saw earlier.

"In here!" she called frantically.

They hurried inside and she led him up rusty spiral stairs in the middle of the room into a bigger one with a set wooden stairs. Against the walls were blocks with four colours of red, yellow, green or silver. She approached one of them and tried to pull it back as hard as she could. It appeared to be too heavy for her, so he stepped in to do it himself even though he wasn't sure what it would do.

With his strength, he was able to pull it easier and once it was out of place from all of the other blocks, rotating metal was heard. A mechanism with an image of a snake was revealed, sealing the spiral stairs shut. They caught a glimpse of Krauser roaring in a rampage before it closed on him.

The woman hadn't calmed yet. She scurried up one of the stairs and the dog barked at Leon before catching up with her at a mahogany door with a teal symbol. She took out a key from one of her boots. There was a mark on it that matched the symbol. She quickly unlocked the door and when it was open, they all rushed in and she slammed it with both hands and locked it again. Safe at last, she sighed and dropped to her knees. Leon leaned against the wall and she pulled the dog into a loving embrace.

"_Looks like Mr. Anonymous was right along,"_ he mused to himself. _"But how can Krauser still be alive? And why would he come here of all places?"_

He would have to worry about that later. He looked at the woman who was now nervous of his presence. She rested a hand on her dog's back with her head low.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he knelt in front of her. "Did he hurt you?"

The moment he did, she flinched out of fright which took him by surprise. He shifted back to assure her he meant no harm and gradually, she gazed up at him. Leon became shocked upon seeing her face. He finally knew why she looked so familiar. She was the girl he saw that very morning from the news report that disappeared from the car accident her parents died in.

There was no mistaking it. She was wearing a brown leather choker around her neck with a blue crystal that hung over the hollow between her collar bones. He remembered it from the photo of the family. Only he did not recall bruises on her porcelain skin.

He was amazed to find her here but now he was feeling worried about her well-being. Both eyes had dark circles beneath them, like she barely got any sleep. A light red colour blemished her left one under her fringe and hues of red and yellow were seen on her chest and thighs. Her neck was sore from when Krauser grabbed her minutes ago. It was like she was being physically abused.

The dog walked up to Leon, happily licking his cheek. The woman didn't expect it, clearly astounded by the sight. Leon spotted this, taking it as a good sign, so he laughed a little and ruffled the canine's fur with both hands, noticing how clean it was.

"Good looking dog. Hewie is his name, right?"

She nodded in a short but fast motion and stared at him with a naturally soft yet timid expression. Her eyes were a light mix of green and blue, like aquamarine gemstones. Despite the bruises, he couldn't help but think of how beautiful she was.

"Well, my name's Leon Kennedy. What's yours?"

Of course, he already knew what it was from the news but he wanted to see if she was comfortable enough to say it herself.

"...Fi... Fiona. Fiona Belli."

Leon smiled and offered his hand to shake. She blinked at first, slowly lifting her own. She hesitated, her fingers retracting back, yet after a few seconds, she took his hand with hers. Hewie watched them as he panted with his pink tongue hanging out.

Leon's smile widened a little more. "Nice to meet you..."


	6. Chapter Five

**Hello, again. I'm afraid this chapter will be a bit shorter than the previous one. There wasn't much to add with this one, other than something new at the end. I planned on using it in a later chapter but decided to use it here, instead.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Five

It had been a long time since Fiona met someone... Someone that did not look as though they wanted to harm her. The stranger's steel blue eyes were giving her a soft gaze. They were filled genuine concern and honesty. Her heart was still beating fast even after the commotion was over. She didn't know what to do or say. This was not what she had in mind when she decided to help him. She knew what Krauser would do. There was no doubt he would notify Riccardo about this and not only would she be punished, Hewie could get hurt as well. She couldn't allow that to happen.

"I should be thanking you," spoke Leon.

"Hm?"

Fiona glanced up at him. She caught sight of a small, thin scar below his right eye under the light brown locks hanging over the side of his face.

"I mean, you did save me from that big guy back then when we met. Thank you."

She reached out to stroke Hewie's back. "Well, I... couldn't let Debilitas kill you."

"What exactly happened earlier with Krauser? The muscle that attacked you."

Her head lowered. "...He was supposed to take me somewhere but was being a little rough. As far as from what just happened, I see Krauser is not a man of patience."

"That sounds like him," he agreed.

Fiona could see it. Any second he was going to start asking more questions. About this place. About her. It made her wonder... Should she tell him? Would it be the right thing to do?

"_No!"_ her own thoughts automatically objected. _"He shouldn't get involved in this. He shouldn't even be here!"_

She stood up and he followed in the act. She was shorter than him, coming up to his below chin.

"We ought to get going," she said. "Come on, Hewie."

Hewie barked in response and trailed behind her as she began to walk a few steps ahead, turning her head to look back at Leon.

"This way, Mr. Kennedy."

"Just call me Leon," he lightly chuckled, casually shaking his lifted hand. He had to admit it. He actually liked the politeness in the way she talked.

She nodded. "If you insist."

And so the three began to make their way through the castle. Leon saw something on her back. On her left shoulder blade was a reddish-pink mark. At first he thought it was another bruise but its shape was too unique and clear, unlike anything he had seen before. A birthmark, maybe?

Fiona prayed that they would have enough time before Riccardo would find out. Or better yet, that he would not find them at all. She didn't think they would have that luxury but she was petrified of the thought of seeing him face to face again after this. Yet she knew the moment she locked that door, it was too late to turn back.

* * *

Comfortably sitting at his desk, Riccardo was reading through files from the silver case. He had to make sure every single page was present and accounted for. He was still furious that one of the intruders stole the case and almost escaped with it. They were of information about what the capsule contained inside and more. It was all written by a researcher named Luis Sera who worked for that Los Illuminados group that Krauser temporarily served in Spain.

His icy blue eyes flicked to a tank with a window in the corner of the room. A miniature made of flesh creature floated in a red liquid behind the glass, twitching now and then as if it was in pain. He then looked at his hand. A black substance swirled in his veins, visible through his skin. It was gone as soon as it appeared.

The memories of the Las Plagas... It was so many years ago when his ancestors had associated their vocation together with the Salazar family. With knitted brows, he went through each file once again, still failing to find anything related to the work his ancestors had done for the Salazars. There was nothing about the Bellis, a clan of alchemists that prospered in this land for centuries. He repeatedly scanned the sentences, searching for the particular word 'Azoth'. Not once did he see it written on any of the pages. It seemed that proud Ramon Salazar did not give credit to their original derivation.

The things this researcher had documented, however, were extraordinary. He was more always interested in his own work yet circumstances made him accept that they had to be taken into consideration. Especially since Krauser had both sources of power from the Bellis and Salazars flowing in his body. He found it peculiar upon their first meeting when he learned that someone like the mercenary had control over his mind and actions, unlike others who were infected with the parasites.

He proceeded to read the next file when the door unexpectedly burst wide open. Krauser was standing there in the doorway heaving. His left arm was larger than usual, shrinking to its normal size as blood and pus trickled to the ground.

Riccardo only raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"We've got a problem."

He slowly put the file down with his eyes fixed on Krauser's. "Where is she?"

* * *

"Fiona..."

The blonde woman looked over her shoulder for a second to show Leon that he had her attention. They travelled up a long set of stairs, passed a shattered mirror at the middle of it. She opened a door at the top to a circular stone room. They went in and down spiral steps with chain railing barriers that curled all the way to a pool below. Droplets of water fell from above.

"I came here in search of a group of six dispatched from America," he started. "They were sent to investigate this place but disappeared some time afterwards. I found one of them, Ben Tyler, outside murdered. I'm worried for the safety of the others."

Fiona had her back to him but he could tell she was listening. He just wished she would look his way so he could know for sure.

"The remaining five go by the names of Nicholas Edmonson, David Baxter, Adam Fitzgerald, Garrett Newman and Charles Dawson. Do you think you may have seen any of them?"

She stiffened to that final name, hoping he hadn't noticed. Unfortunately for her, he did and was about to speak but she beat him to it.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this... but they are dead."

"What? ALL of them!?"

Fiona continued walking. "And you will be too if we don't keep moving."

Leon moved faster to get in front of her. "But how? Were they also killed?"

He watched her flinch again as her eyes grimaced shut. She knew what was going on, alright. She stayed quiet for a moment until she bore her eyes into his to show how serious she was.

"The ones in charge here do not take outsiders lightly. You're lucky to be alive right now," she stated bluntly.

"What about you?" he interrogated a little firmly. "Why are you here?"

In an instance, he could see pain, fear... terror all over her face. It didn't last long for she was walking again, rushing to get to a door at the bottom of the stairs.

"Fiona...!"

Hewie looked up between them before following her. She opened it and waited for Leon, her head facing away from him. He sighed, shaking his own head and then went through. The last thing he needed was for them to start off on the wrong foot. She was all he had here and it was better than nothing. Despite their first encounter, he had a good feeling that he could trust her. But could she trust him?

"I'm sorry if I—"

"It's fine," she interrupted, closing the door and taking the lead.

Leon frowned. He could literally feel the insecurity emerging from her. He needed to think of something to ease the tension.

Fiona walked around the corner and into an octagon-shaped room. The door to it had broken off some time ago, lying on the floor. On the sides were a ticking grandfather clock, a display cabinet, a plant and in the centre was a small statue of a woman, the size of Hewie, holding an oil lamp with a bright blue glow. She opened a red door with a diamond engraved on it at the back and Leon was confused when he saw a wall instead of another room as he expected. She didn't seem that surprised about it.

"Damn," she muttered to herself.

"Guess this castle's got a sense of humour," he joked.

"There's a mechanism ahead connected to sectors in this area," Fiona explained. "It rotates to either open of close them off. I was hoping we could use this one as a shortcut. Other sectors could be sealed as well if this one is."

"Ah, I take it our first stop is the place that makes this mechanism rotate?"

She gave a single nod and left the room, turning left. Hewie rubbed himself against her leg, sensing her discomfort as much as Leon could. He didn't say anything although he wanted answers now rather than later. Were Charles and the Spec Ops unit really dead as she claimed? He knew it wasn't going to be easy getting her to talk. It did not take a genius to see that she was afraid to tell him anything.

What bothered him was... how did she end up from a car crash to an unknown castle?

* * *

"WHAT!?" roared Riccardo.

"Better believe it," Krauser grumbled as his arm continued to agonise him even after it had restored its form. "I tried to stop them but they got away. The dog's with 'em, too."

"You let them escape, you fool! Why didn't you use the drawbridge!?"

"I did but by the time I got in the Saturnus door was locked. Leon or Fiona probably found the key to it... and I doubt he knew about the key and where to find it."

Riccardo gritted his teeth tightly. It could not have been Fiona. She learned well what would happen if she were to defy him. He had to teach her the hard way for her own good. The intruder must have forced her to go with him. Would more bullets have to be wasted if what Krauser was saying was true?

* * *

Fiona pursed her lips together as she tried to think things through. She and Leon hadn't exchanged a word with one another as the three went along the manor, which she preferred, yet the silence made everything feel incredibly awkward. She was aware that he was itching to know more even though he was keeping his questions to himself. She appreciated that he was being patient but didn't know how long it would last.

She did not know this man. He was tall and strong. He wasn't as big as Krauser compared to his largely built physique but he certainly had to be strong enough to have been able to take him on the way he did. She couldn't help but feel scared with him behind her. He walked with a stride in his steps. Like he was prepared at act at any moment. What would he do when he could no longer put up with her secrecy? Yell at her? Threaten her?

She tried hard to shake off her nerves. Leon couldn't be a threat if Hewie was not on guard. Quite the contrary, the white canine could detect the slightest of dangers and was always wary of strangers. And he liked their new companion a lot. He was completely on edge with Riccardo, Krauser and everyone else they met but with Leon, he appeared to be truly happy with his company. She admired him for being so calm, even if he was a dog.

She couldn't deny to herself that she was curious about him, especially the story between him and Krauser. She would not pry, though. It was none of her business after all and it would have given him the right to ask her his questions. He had already asked a few and she wanted them to be kept at a minimum. She still couldn't believe what she saw with Krauser's arm during that fight before Leon dragged her away. She had seen things here considered unthinkable but nothing like that. How was it possible?

Fiona's train of thought came to an end when she spotted a door close to a chain-link fence reaching to the ceiling. There was furniture covered with sheets behind it. The door reminded her of something, so she went up to it.

"I just need to collect something."

"Okay."

Leon followed her and Hewie into a bathroom. A machine that resembled a typewriter sat on a side table. An odd place for one to be in, in his opinion. He could also see a candle stand, a damaged mirror above a sink and next to it was a toilet and a little set of drawers. Across from them was a rusty bathtub full of discoloured red water. Near the drawers was what, to him, looked like a word grid with numbers outside of it. It probably held a clue to something. A window with open blinds showed an endless blue void. Nothing else could be seen outside. It was so bold, their reflections easily stood out. He then saw tiny bubbles rise behind the glass. Was that water outside?

Fiona crouched in front of the drawers and took out a pouch attached to a flat, cotton rope cord from underneath it. Rattling sounds were made as she blew and carefully patted off dust that formed on top of it. Hewie inquisitively leaned his head forward to smell it. She made a bunch a while ago and hid them in different locations throughout the castle. It relieved her to see that Riccardo never found it

"_Hopefully he hasn't found the other ones as well."_

After she put her hand inside of it, Leon saw her take out a handful of little objects. Some were clear spheres filled halfway with a purple or yellow powder. The others were green and red jewels. She got up and handed them to him.

"Here. You might need these," she said before typing the rope around her waist in a knot. The same rattling indicated more of the objects were in the pouch.

"What are these?" asked Leon as he examined one of the spheres between his finger and thumb.

"They're called Antimonies," she answered. "If someone is pursuing you, throw one at them and it will temporarily paralyze them with a small shock of electricity."

She then pointed to the jewels in his other hand.

"And those are called Magnesias. You set them on the ground and they will explode upon impact."

"Very handy. Thanks, I'll keep a hold of them." He put them into his attaché pack. "Have you ever used them before?"

"...A few times," she replied, her tone hinting that she did not want to talk about it. "Let's go."

Hewie was busy scratching himself with his back leg until he noticed Fiona and Leon head out. He scurried onto all fours to catch up with them.

After going through an arch doorway, they entered a dark hallway. The ground was in a T-shape with red lit light bulbs on the floor. Leon could have sworn he could hear carousel music playing behind a blue door with a diamond that matched the red one from the octagon room. He thought nothing of it as they passed it to a waiting lounge and Fiona led them into another corridor. In the middle of it, they went down some stairs at the left side of it.

She looked in both directions of two optional paths with doors at either end as Leon observed a large painting before them between torches hanging on the wall. There was an inscription underneath it...

'The right path leads to the truth,  
whilst the left path leads to deception.

When the shroud of deception is lifted,  
the fog will fade and the hidden path  
will make itself known.

Oh ye faithful flock, right these wrongs.

If three truths exist, it must be so that  
three lies also exist.'

"_More riddles and puzzles,"_ he thought. _"...typical. What is it with these weird places? Even the police station back in Raccoon City had those crazy puzzles."_

"Over here," called Fiona, who was already down the right path.

As he got closer, he saw that the door that had a mark on it which was the planetary sign of Jupiter. It reminded him of the door with the sign of Saturn. Going in first, Hewie started to growl and bark as though he was trying to warn them about something. She wasn't fazed, running a hand along his back to calm him down.

There was a closet and framed boards with unrecognisable bugs and butterflies pinned to them. Two desks faced each other against the walls. The first had a chemistry set with a couple of notebooks stacked beside it. The second had a chessboard with its pieces on the single squares. At the back were wax models of two, scrawny men. They were not as well made compared to the one Leon found in the music room. One was on his knees while the other had his hand on his shoulder. Next to them were an old distillation device, a fireplace with a kiln on top and a heavy hourglass to the side of it.

"The room opposite this one is identical but there are three things here that are not the same," said Fiona. "They're somehow linked to the mechanism."

"Sooo... by correcting them, the mechanism is activated," Leon guessed.

"Right."

"You've done this before," he figured.

She chose not to respond to his comment, turning to approach the chessboard. She already began to feel jitters take over her.

"You alright?" she heard him ask behind her.

"Mm..."

Taking in a deep breath through her nose, she placed her fingers on a chess piece, moving them all to their rightful places, one by one. Straight away afterwards, they could feel the ground shake slightly under their feet. The objects around them clattered. Hewie shifted over his paws as the rumbling continued.

* * *

A loud noise emitted from somewhere far beyond the many walls of the castle. Churning chains were added to it, causing Riccardo and Krauser to both look up. It was repeated two more times with a pause between in between. Riccardo instantly knew what it meant.

"They are in the Room of Truth. Krauser, find them!" he ordered. "Kill the agent AFTER you bring her to me."

Krauser nodded and headed for the door, his dagger ready in his restored hand. He stopped midway when Riccardo spoke again.

"Do be sure to be more careful with Fiona this time. I will be VERY disappointed if anything happens to her and you will pay the price for it."

"...I will treat her like a princess," Krauser answered with a dull voice with his arms up before leaving to begin his hunt.

"That imbecile...!" Riccardo scorned when he left.

He knew he should have shot that agent while he was weak and defenceless. Now he had Fiona and was going to take her away from him. Everything he had strived for countless years could be foiled. He marched to the desk. On it were the photographs he confiscated from the intruder, along with the rest of his belongings. He laid them all in a row on the surface, recognising each face as the previous intruders, glowering at the one with greying blonde hair.

"_I will allow Krauser to have his fun with this 'Leon' friend of his,"_ he mused. _"But I will not let him risk her safety."_

There was too much at stake and he would never approve of her spending a second longer with the agent. He glared at Charles' picture, a stern face staring back.

The faint sound of a creak barely caught his ear.

It was enough for him to grab his flintlock pistol, spinning around and aiming it high, only to see that he was the only one in the quiet room. He lowered the gun yet his eyes continued to drift to every corner. It was not the first time he had the feeling that someone was watching him. At first he had his suspicions of who it could be but lately he was doubting the possibility. No matter who it was, he had make certain that it wasn't another threat to take Fiona from him.

He almost lost her before... and he was not going to lose her again.


	7. Chapter Six

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Six

It was clear to Leon and Fiona that their location was given away because the noise made by the mechanism. The estate was so quiet. It would have been impossible not to hear it. The two along with Hewie hurried back up the stairs and around the next corner. She hoped that activating it again and unlocking the other sectors would be enough to mislead and throw Riccardo and Krauser off their trail.

Her fast, advancing steps brought Leon to ignore a display of dolls half their size, which Hewie did not like the look of. They went through a door, across a bridge over a pool water and out to a graveyard. He realised it was the other half of the graveyard he was in earlier. There were more gravestones that had the name 'Aureolus Belli'.

"_Belli... The same last name as Fiona's."_

It was no way it could be a coincidence. This castle somehow had a connection to her. He was willing to bet his money on that. Every glance he took her way, he could see trouble in her eyes that would not leave her be. Her behaviour since they met was far too serious yet he couldn't help but think there was more to it than what he gathered so far. He tried to remember the photo of her and her parents from the news.

She was smiling so happily between them, like there wasn't a care in the world. There was a light in her that he couldn't see now. God only knows what she had been through. Why hadn't she mentioned anything about the car crash? Was she even aware that she was reported as missing? What happened to lead to this? He hated having all these questions piling up in his head when someone beside him had all the answers. However, he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to throw them at her at once. She would likely cower from him. He hoped he could find a way to help her warm up to him.

At the back of the graveyard was a mausoleum with an entrance leading underground. There was a marble offering with a text engraved into it and Leon read it out loud...

'Dead spirit craving for life,  
crawling back from the underworld...

Sip of the fresh-flowing life-blood.  
When your thirst is quenched, return  
to the darkness from whence you came.'

"That doesn't sound good," he remarked.

"It will be alright," Fiona assured. "Hardly anyone comes down here for some reason."

It was like there was something taboo about the depths beneath the ground that she couldn't explain to him, even if she tried. She used to take advantage of it and hide there. No one ever pursued her whenever she fled there, although she didn't know why even to this day.

Inside at the bottom of the mausoleum's entrance was a catacomb. Its walls, ceiling and floor were made by carving the earth around them. Fire torches clinging to the walls were burning strongly. Amounts of the soil were moulded into shapes that resembled human body parts of large heads, arms, legs and torsos. A whole humanoid being also made of it stood tall close to bars blocking access to a passageway to its side and faced an open one a few metres in front of it. Their faces didn't appear to be normal. They had hollow eyes and a golden slot for a mouth. On a stand was a typewriter much like the one seen in the bathroom. In the centre was a candle on top of an altar. A skeleton was lying on it, clutching a stone tablet.

They passed it into the open tunnel. More fire torches revealed bones and skulls all over the place. Both Leon and Fiona noticed the other was not unnerved by the sight of death. On the ground, he saw a red glyph of a triangle within a circle and the word 'METH' engraved onto the dirt. The tunnel divided into different paths yet she led the others through to the exit with ease and he could hear dangling chains. He marvelled at how she knew her way around so well, never stopping to look around once. He wondered how long she had been here for. They left the maze and entered what looked like a labyrinth which surprised him.

"_I wonder who came up with this design,"_ he thought.

Layers of staircases crossed over one another. Chains extended from multiple angles, holding a chandelier, cages and armour suits in mid-air. A creaking noise broke the silence. He gazed down the side as they strolled up the steps they were on. It was completely dark below them. Nothing could be seen, as though they would be falling forever if they were to slip over the edge. Hewie trotted faster and waited for them by a door. It did not continue the crossed stairs. Instead was a long hallway with two paths to the left and right.

They turned right and around another corner down some more stairs, going through a collection of unusual antiques in a corridor. One in the middle was covered by a sheet. Further on, the area that arched was difficult to see in with no lights. The windows were thick in a deep blood-red colour. At the end was a table with small flames flickering on a two-arm candelabra by a door. There were rusty bars with a chain-link fence across from it, a prison with a broken bed inside. Fiona reached out to open the door but when she twisted the handle...

"...?"

She tried turning it again but the door would not open.

"This door is normally open. Somebody must have locked it."

Leon shrugged. "Maybe there's another way around? Like through the left side where we just came from?"

"Yes, but it might take a little longer that way."

"Better that than be stuck here."

As soon as they turned to go back, they saw Hewie standing in an uneasy posture. He moved slowly as his back hunched lower, staring straight ahead with his paws patting on the ground.

"What is it, buddy?" Leon asked him.

Fiona began to fret. "Oh, no...!"

"What?"

Hewie's fur bristled. His tail stretched out and he started to growl.

"Someone's coming!" she panicked.

That was when they heard heavy footsteps from afar heading towards them.

"Shit..." cursed Leon. "Here!"

He rushed Fiona to hide at a corner by the prison and steered Hewie to hide under the table.

"Sh-sh-sh-shh!" she hushed to cease his growling.

Leon stood in front of her, shielding her with his body and raised a protective arm whilst unsheathing his knife. The short space had her pressed up to the cage's bars and chain-link wire. She could feel how cold the metal was against her bare skin. The steps were becoming louder. He gently pushed her back a bit more as he braced himself for combat. Fiona's pulse rose for what was about to come. Her body tightened to how close he was to her and she tried to suppress her anxiety. She covered her mouth to control her breathing. The sense of dread and helplessness kept growing as every step was getting closer and closer... And just then, a chime rang in the air.

The shock flashed in her eyes recognising it.

"_A Luminessant!? No—not now!"_

Her heart began to beat faster and she knew it would only make things worse. She squeezed her eyelids shut and urged herself to inhale through her nose to slow it down. Luminessant were tiny creatures, nothing but a nuisance, always stalking her whenever they were nearby, somehow drawn to her. If it was able to track her, they were going to be found.

Krauser was certain he heard something. He was on his way to the 'Room of Truth' as Riccardo ordered but thought it was best to check if Leon, Fiona and that dog were sneaking around there. The chime caught his ear and he glanced behind himself, seeing a hovering blue ball of light. Luminessants did not commonly interfere with his business so he usually paid no attention to them. Yet because this one was floating in his direction, it could mean Fiona was close by. He took out his dagger and crept forward...

...until the Luminessant came into contact with his back and shattered, sending a powerful shock through his entire being. A sound was released like breaking glass.

He let out a howl of pain and Fiona's eyes widened. Leon knitted his brows in confusion but kept his holding weapon up high. In frustration, Krauser slashed the air where the Luminessant was, oblivious to something falling out of his back pocket which Hewie spotted when it landed.

"—damn bug!"

When he calmed himself, he looked back at the narrow, empty corridor. If the Luminessant shattered upon touching him...

"_She's probably not here,"_ he concluded as he rubbed his shoulder and walked away.

Leon and Fiona remained still until his footsteps could no longer be heard. The agent released the breath that he too was holding in.

"...phew! I don't know what that was, but we got lucky," he said with a grin and slid the knife back into the sheath.

She was baffled that the Luminessant was attracted to Krauser instead than her. She had never seen them go after anyone else other than her until now. Perhaps it was because he was in between. But wouldn't that mean...?

Hewie barked after emerging out from the table, his snout pointing to a key on the floor. It wasn't there before. Krauser must have dropped it. She bent down to pick it up and petted his head. There was a symbol on it making her gape upon examining it, triggering something from her memory...

'_...Inside you will find the Mercury Ruins, a place of the utmost secrets...'_

Leon saw the reaction on her face. "Do you know where it leads to?"

Fiona turned and stared up at him. "A way out... This is going to sound bizarre... but we have to go underneath the castle."

* * *

The creature writhed violently inside the tank. The metal, glass and red water muffled its screaming anguish. Bubbles rose as it swung its limbs, resisting an internal attack within its body.

Riccardo showed no emotion as he surveyed it without a shred of pity for its suffering. This had been done before. Old records lay on the desk, all of them stained yellow, delicate to the touch from age. The earliest dates on them were signed centuries ago, during the early years of the alliance between the Bellis and the Salazars after they joined forces when a great catastrophe threatened their lands. The experiment he was conducting followed up to the research from those days.

He witnessed the last of it himself when the seventh castellan of Salazar Castle came here twenty five years ago. Followers of both clans crowded this very room, waiting anxiously as they watched their masters come to their conclusions with the studies conducted. Among the masters was one of the most respected members of the Bellis, Ugo Belli. Before the castellan's stay had come to an end, it was he who received the glory from the Lords of each clan, despite all the efforts Riccardo invested just as much at that time. Everyone was eager to listen to Ugo's suggestions instead of his when they debated on how to prevent a second catastrophe. The castellan acclaimed Ugo personally for wanting to honour the wishes of his ancestors.

Riccardo felt his temper rise at the thought of his rival. He had always loathed Ugo with a passion. Ugo was the one who was always praised, the one who was more gifted. The one who was blessed with what he should have been. He almost lost his focus and had to remind himself, once again, that the past was the past. It should not beleaguer him. The odds had been evened. He did not have to live under that foolish man's shadow anymore. Especially when he had Ugo's most beloved treasure in his possession.

But the intruder with Fiona... he could cause more problems than predicted. Krauser warned him about Leon Kennedy. Told him about the government agent's history, his survival of the viral outbreaks in North and South America that reanimated the dead into mindless, flesh-eating monstrosities. He then told of how Leon single-handedly defeated the eighth and final Salazar castellan and the entire Los Illuminados cult, foiling their plans to control the world. That meant he would not be so easy to deal with compared to the previous intruders. He would have to consider his next course of action wisely.

Riccardo returned his gaze to the creature that continued to squirm. This would be the perfect opportunity to put his experiments to the test.

It gradually stopped moving, merely floating in the water. He glanced briefly at a clock and documented the time length's results on a fresh sheet of paper. The top of it was titled, 'Plaga Implantation, Infant Homunculus B IV'. He then got up from his seat, walking towards a whole row of tanks. Each one had a slumbering, twitching Homunculus inside of them.

* * *

After a stroke of fortune, Leon and Fiona found a key to an exit. All they had to do was find the door that it was made for. He did not forget that he had orders to terminate Krauser and find the Spec Ops unit, but now he had Fiona and Hewie to consider. He decided it would be better to get them out first. A trip under the castle wasn't what he had in mind yet how they got out wouldn't matter as long as they did. He could take them to the base where Hunnigan and the others were. They would be safe there. He could also make a report, restock on his supplies and then return to finish the job.

They went back to the catacombs, taking a different route near the 'METH' glyph towards a door. There was a second glyph close to it. He thought it would be another passageway behind it. What he got was a glass tube surrounded by water. A light was seen shining over them somewhere above. He saw a strange school of fish swimming around, recognising some of them from a nature documentary he saw on television once. He was positive he identified a red angler fish amongst them. On the opposite side of the tube was a long flight of stairs. Much longer than the previous ones from before. Pipes circulated the walls here and there. The three climbed all the way up to a single door.

The room behind it was a lot brighter than he imagined it would be. It was a library. It had two floors but no access to reach the top one. A grandfather clock was near the door and all of the walls were implanted with bookshelves. He had a feeling these books had far more information than any public library could provide. In the middle were more bookshelves with tracks on the floor, indicating they were moveable. One had a ladder and they were all lined together to reach a second door high on the wall below the balcony of the upper floor.

Fiona approached the bookshelves to the left and lifted her finger, skimming it along the neatly stacked books to find a specific one. Leon smiled as Hewie followed her like a little lamb. He could tell the white canine was truly fond of her. She stopped at a bookshelf at the centre. On one of its shelves were two blue books at either end. She raised her leg and took out the key that she tucked into her boot like before. The spine of the books had a symbol that was the same as the key's. Under the symbol of one book had the letter 'X' and the other 'I', the Roman numerals for ten and one. Adjusting the key in her hand, she switched the books to the proper order. A rumbling sound emitted and dust from each shelf drifted to the floor when she was done and moved back. The bookshelf lowered into the ground and behind it was a secret door with a matching mark to the key and books.

"_The astrological sign of Mercury,"_ thought Fiona. _"Exactly like he said in that note..."_

"Have you ever been down there before?" Leon asked as she unlocked it.

"No, I didn't know about it until a short while ago. I read about it in m—... a certain...book."

He picked up on her faltering voice but didn't say anything and opened the door for them. It was pitch-black inside yet Hewie was not on edge as she started into the unknown. They stepped in cautiously onto wide stairs. The door closed on its own, enveloping them in darkness and they could hear the bookshelf rise again outside of it. Fiona's heart almost jumped into her throat when she felt Leon gently grasp her hand.

"Stay close to me," he advised. "If only those guys didn't take my flash light..."

With a soft tug, Leon walked slowly and guided her through the dark with his free hand brushing against the wall. Not a thing was heard besides Hewie's paws, his faint panting and the tapping of their footwear tapping over stone. Neither knew for sure how much deeper underground they were going. It was already beginning to feel endless with their inability to see.

Fiona was uncomfortable with him holding her hand. She still couldn't bring herself to be at ease with him. Her breath was shaky and he could probably tell how hesitant she was by the way her fingers were tingling in his grip. She could picture Riccardo's looming glare of disapproval over her head, ready to appear out of nowhere and tear Leon's arm off for merely holding her hand alone. She wanted him to let go of her but at the same time, she did not want to be standing by herself and get lost in the abyss.

After the passing minutes that dragged, Leon halted.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You hear that?" he whispered.

Fiona stilled herself to listen. "...Running water?"

He took her further down until they eventually saw a blue light coming from an opening ahead of them. It reflected off Hewie's eyes, making them shine. The sound of water was getting louder as they went through the opening to an edge. He finally let go of her hand once they could see again and their eyes lifted in awe by the scenery before them.

Down below was an ancient ruin within an enormous cavern. A courtyard was in the middle with destroyed buildings covered with overgrown moss due to years of neglect. Close to the courtyard was what they guessed were entrances to some passages. The wreckage had them presuming these were built centuries ago. Thin streams of waterfalls fell from many points. The most astonishing part was that the cavern had glowing blue and green crystals everywhere, lighting up the whole environment. They released tiny, sparkling segments that drifted across the air.

Leon whistled which echoed, the tone starting from high to low showing how impressed he was. "Would you look at that..."

"I was aware that there was something beneath the castle," Fiona spoke breathlessly. "But I didn't expect this."

The edge they stood at was the top of a stairway that was destroyed supposedly by a large pillar and rubble they could see lying at the bottom. What happened here? The place looked as though it had been abandoned for some time. The castle was likely constructed after this place reached its end.

Fiona leaned her head over. "How are we going to get down?"

Leon peered down as well. He estimated the height to be around ten feet. It could be complicated without his equipment but with his training and experiences, he knew he would be able to withstand the drop. However, it didn't seem like it was something she could manage. There were small platforms Hewie could use, which he pointed out for him.

"I'll go first," he offered. "Once I'm down there, you jump and I'll catch you. How about that?"

She did not look so keen about it yet couldn't think of any other way glancing around. Looking at the first platform, she swung her arms out and pointed to it. "Go, Hewie."

Barking in response to her command, Hewie leapt over to the platform, working his way to the ground across each one and sat to wait for them. On his cue, Leon crouched and used his hand to hop over the edge, skidding his feet against the loose rubble after he landed and jumped over the pillar. When he joined Hewie, he ruffled the dog's head and then turned to assist Fiona. He stood back on the pillar was about to ask if she was ready, only to see that she was already trying to make her own way down, clinging to the rough surface.

Taking her time, she was doing quite well, careful with the weight she pressed her hands and feet onto the rocks she held and stepped on. He put a hand on his hip and admired her effort. Although she could barely look over her shoulder, she could tell she was near the bottom. She was just feeling self-conscious and paranoid with him watching her. When she lowered her foot to the next rock, she didn't realise it was weak until it was too late. It started to crumble and gave away, causing her to fall.

"Ohh!"

"Fiona!" Leon shouted in alarm.

Tumbling helplessly, she shut her eyelids tightly and waited for the pain and embarrassment that was to come, expecting to land flat on her face right in front of his toes until something broke her fall. She wrapped her arms tightly around it to regain her balance.

Everything then became quiet and she found herself leaning against something hard yet warm... with something beating inside of it. A heartbeat. There was also another pair of arms wrapped around her. She had fallen straight into Leon's chest... Or did he rush to catch her? Instantly flushing as a jolt of fear hit her, she hastily pushed herself out of his hold and away from him, trying not to trip over the rubble.

"S-sorry about that," she stuttered, tilting her head to hide her blush, hoping her fringe would help.

He lightly laughed it off as he stepped down. "Don't worry about it. Couldn't let you get hurt now, could I?"

"_So he did—"_... Fiona felt her cheeks become hotter, turning from pink to red. "...Thanks," she mumbled awkwardly.

She jogged to catch up to him and Hewie who started to go on ahead. The three took in their surroundings and began to explore the ruins together.

* * *

One of the Homunculi among the row of tanks, springing to life, rammed itself repeatedly against the tank.

Riccardo raised his head upon hearing the thumps and went up to it. He could feel a sensation reacting inside of him and the black substance reappeared on his hand once again, spreading to his fingertips. The Homunculus smashed through the glass, tearing itself from its cord and fell out as the red liquid poured out all over the floor. It heaved and stumbled onto its feet. It had no eyes but could sense him there.

The hooded man lifted his hand and the Homunculus froze in place, like it was obeying. A sly smirk came to his face with this new obtained power. He swayed his hand side to side and the creature followed the movement. He then directed his arm towards the door that was open. When the connection was made, an image flashed in his mind after it waddled off. He hissed and clutched his forehead, a vision of another Homunculus from somewhere else. Not within the castle walls but below them. Its form transmitted waves, projecting the presence of others... One in particular filled with divine energy.

His eyes flared as the vision faded. The substance vanished from his skin.

"It can't be..." he uttered.

She was there... in the Mercury Ruins. How could she have known about it? Scowling angrily, he snatched the flintlock pistol from his the desk and stormed out of the room.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that! The Mercury Ruins is a place of my own creation. It was originally inspired by a cave seen in the game Devil May Cry 3 in Chapter 9 when I first wrote this story.**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Hello again, peeps! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Trigger Warning: A new tag has been added to the story. There is a line in this chapter that implies self harm/a possible suicide attempt.**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Seven

The splendour of the cavern made Fiona feel almost tranquil. The glistening glow of blue and green from every mineral shard, the sparkling fragments that drifted gracefully... It was so peaceful and beautiful.

It wasn't long before they reached the ruins. There were only a couple of buildings that they could see. Not enough for a civilization. A drop of water fell from a leaning pillar and landed on Hewie's nose. He shook his head to the sudden contact and tilted it up.

"Hewie," she called, noticing how far behind he was.

The young white German shepherd barked, dismissing his curiosity and ran up to her. Leon squinted his eyes to peek into one of the houses but it was too dark to make out anything inside. It was the same with the other buildings. They walked through the courtyard past a water fountain that obviously stopped working for some time. It had a cracked sculpture of four women carrying vases in a formation as though they were dancing. One was missing an arm and another was missing a head. She observed every detail with fascination, her folded hand resting on her chest as she used her imagination to envision how it used to be. She then faced her distorted reflection in the water that filled the base of the fountain.

"Hey, Fiona."

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Leon waving his arm for her to come over, to which she did.

"Take a look at this."

He was standing in front of a tall stele double their height between two large crystals. Its eroding inscription was hardly visible yet they could tell it was not in English, unlike the others in the castle. Near the top of it was a sign similar to a caduceus that she had seen on the clothing worn by Riccardo and someone else... an image of a woman briefly flashing in her head.

"I can't read this," he admitted.

Fiona stared at the words before her, realising that she understood them. "It looks like Archaic Latin. I think I can read this."

"Really?" Leon blinked in surprise. "Where'd you learn that?"

After he asked, a doleful expression appeared on her face. "... My... parents taught me. They both studied subjects such as philology in university."

His own face softened in sympathy for her. _"It must be hard for her to even think about them."_

She remembered asking her parents how they met when she was as a little girl, as any child would. How she felt in awe when she was told the tale of their first meeting after her mother came to Italy and study abroad and the love that blossomed between them. How astonished she was when she found out they could both speak a language almost none would use today. They were truly intelligent people who could also speak in multiple languages. Her father was born in Italy and her mother in England, so it was natural for her to learn both English and Italian at an early age. Yet to learn a language spoken from a time long ago was delightful to her. Something only she and her parents could share. Her father used to sometimes test her in a trivia quiz when the family ate dinner together or drove towards their destination in their car. Though now, being here, she couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than fun and games. Pushing the thought aside, she began to translate the inscription as best as she could...

'Water courses through you.  
Water courses through I.  
Water courses the breath of life.  
Ever endless the cycle goes.

Water courses greatest in the depths  
of Mercurius.  
Ever eternal the cycle goes.

The divine was revealed in the depths  
and so we are called heeding His word.

For we are each on the journey to serve...'

The last part was slightly difficult to read covered with loose pebbles so she stepped closer and swiped her fingers to remove them...

'For we are must serve the voyage in His name  
for the Great Truth that is Azoth.'

...and regretted reading it out loud, ceasing herself from translating the rest.

"Azoth? Can't say I've heard of that," said Leon.

Her mind raced to find anything to shift his focus elsewhere.

Peering over her shoulder, she saw something close to the fountain. "Oh, there's another one over there."

He watched her go to a second stele and knew what she was doing. She was trying so hard to keep secrets from him. Her uncomfortable tone and demeanour were giving it away. He pondered why she wanted to keep him ignorant to everything.

"It's a map," she proclaimed.

He went up to it and examined it with her. The carvings were simple enough to follow and showed that a number of tunnels connected a variety of areas throughout the ruins as one. The areas had individual landmarks for what they figured to be specific locations. Fiona recognised some from the book she read, including those in the castle. One of them resembled the fountain and he pointed his finger to it.

"This must be where we are now."

Fiona continued to analyse the markings and spotted one representing stairs and trees. She pointed her own finger to it.

"There. That's where the exit is. It leads to the forest outside the castle."

"That's north from here."

The two gazed at each other, a goal clear in mind before heading into a tunnel behind the map.

* * *

Riccardo stormed down a long corridor. He had to know how Fiona found out about the Mercury Ruins and how she got in. All information about it was strictly hidden for a reason. It was unlikely that Leon or even Krauser knew of it, so the only conclusion had to mean that she infiltrated the place willingly. When he came to a single door at the end, he slammed his hand on the wooden panel. It burst open to the blunt force and hit the wall with a harsh bang. He marched into Fiona's chamber room, scowling as he scanned one corner to the next.

It was the perfect bedroom for a young lady. It had a queen-sized bed with royal purple satin sheets, pillows and canopy curtains. Alongside was a vanity table, a wardrobe full of the finest gowns fit for a princess, a bookshelf with plenty of books to read and a cushioned windowsill seat by a towering diamond grilled window with a spectacular view of Chaos Forest. He preferred her to have this instead of access to a balcony. The room even had a door to a private bathroom. Riccardo prepared all of this for Fiona personally during her slumber.

He proceeded to open the drawers and cupboards in the room, rummaging through their contents, not giving a single thought of respect for her privacy. There had to be something that could clarify her knowledge of the ruins.

By the time he searched the whole room, as well as the bathroom, it was a wreck. He couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Becoming frustrated, he was about to leave until something attracted his attention, causing him to do a double-take back to it. On the side of the mattress was a jagged slit, unnoticed before the sheets were stripped off the bed. Intrigued, he treaded slowly over the mess he created, fixated by it, recalling an incident from two months ago...

"_Fiona! What are you doing with those scissors!?"_

Riccardo assumed the worse when he caught her sitting on the bed as the sharp pair of blades clattered on the floor from her startled fright. Yet apparently she may have had a different intention all along. He knelt in front of the bed and put his hand inside the hole cut into it. His felt his palm brush against a thin, flat object and he pulled it out. In his grasp was a journal. At first he presumed it belonged to her until he saw the initials 'U.B.' on the cover. This was not any regular journal. It belonged to Ugo Belli. A lot of pages were torn out. Between the front cover and first undamaged page was a folded note written by another person. The handwriting was weak... and also familiar.

'My dear Fiona,

What Riccardo has done is despicable. I truly apologise for not being there to save you.  
In my current state, I am helpless to do more than I can. I understand what you must  
be feeling but do not give up. He may have sealed off the exits, yet there is an alternative  
way out. A way underneath the castle. There is a key of Mercurius, much like the other  
astrology keys you have found. Find the key with the symbol of Mercury.

Once you obtain it, go to the library past the catacombs. You will see two identical books  
with the same symbol in incorrect positions. Put them in the right order and a door will  
make itself known. Inside you will find the Mercury Ruins, a place of the utmost secrets.  
This journal will serve you as a guide. He will not find you there and you can take a  
pathway to Chaos Forest.

It will be a strenuous task but you must not lose hope. No matter what Riccardo does, he  
needs you alive. Always remember this fact. You can outwit him.

I shall continue to seek anything else that will be of use to you. I pray for your safety,  
Fiona.

Lorenzo.'

"..."

Riccardo felt his eyelid twitch reading the note addressed to her. He snarled, crunching the piece of paper into a ball before tossing it aside and flipped through what was left of the journal. It mostly consisted of sketches and trivial notes of the ruins. Drawings of landmarks were also seen and one of stairs and trees was marked with a circle. As he continued to go through the pages, he found something in particular that Ugo wrote. It was only a piece of the page, wrinkled yet flattened, not properly torn from its bind...

'...to protect Ayla and the baby.

Neither Riccardo nor our lord can be reasoned with. If w—  
to escape, then we may have no choice but to esca—  
the Mercury Ruins. I will be risking everythi—'

The sentences were cut short where the paper was ripped apart. Riccardo could not fathom how the old man was able to find the journal. It disappeared when Ugo did less than twenty years ago. Either way, he was more outraged than ever. He stood up, throwing it across the room and left with a huff.

"_Oh Fiona, what a clever girl you are. But not clever enough. Surely you ought to know by now what happens whenever you try to disobey me. How disappointing..."_

* * *

The pathway was less affected than the courtyard. There were a few fallen debris yet the walls and twisted pillars did not appear to be coming down any time soon. They walked for fifteen minutes straight with no events until they got to a cave with an arch doorway to stairs leading up. When they went through...

Fiona's fingers hovered over her lips. "What!?"

A cave-in had occurred at some point. The exit was blocked by giant rocks and builders, almost completely covering the entire staircase.

"No! H-how did...?"

"Nothing can ever be so simple these days..." Leon commented to himself, shaking his head with his hands on his hips. "How are we supposed to get out now?"

She suddenly felt bothered hearing the word 'we'. Her eyes fell downcast and her hand absentmindedly drifted to her lower stomach.

Contemplating of what to do next, he turned to discuss it and could see her lost in thought. He could have sworn he had a déjà vu. She was in a similar pose to the figure of the pregnant woman he saw back in the castle. They oddly looked alike. Only she wasn't pregnant. At least there was no reason to think so. She didn't seem to be. Was the figure meant to be of her?

Fiona's eyes closed, the past taunting her once more...

"_Fiona—Thank God you're safe!"_

"_How do we get out of here?"_

"_RICCARDO, NO!"_

"_You see this!? This is the price you pay!"_

"_If you had only done as you were told..."_

"...fiona..."

"_You have no one to blame but YOURSELF!"_

"Fiona!"

She faintly gasped, the spell of the trance of memories broken when Leon waved his hand in front of her face, staring at her all concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Ah- ...y-yes," she lied, suppressing the overwhelming feeling that threatened to take over her. "Sorry, I guess I zoned out."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. I'm sorry," she apologised again. "I really didn't know this was going to be a dead end."

"Hey, it's alright. There's bound to be another way out. We'll find it," he assured with a smile.

He went back through the archway and motioned his hand for her to follow him. She hoped he was right. The map did confirm that the ruins and castle were linked in many ways. Surely one of those ways couldn't be that far off. Leon saw two tunnels within the cave.

"Let's try this one," he said, heading towards the tunnel to the left.

* * *

Riccardo instantly detected the switched books when he and Krauser arrived in the library. After removing one and sliding it back into place, the book shelf descended, unveiling the door of Mercury. He turned the handle and it was already unlocked.

"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "How did she get the key!?"

Krauser didn't say anything. He could not afford Riccardo finding out he stole it from him. He was still pissed at himself for losing the damn thing.

Riccardo held his pistol tightly. Upon entering the darkness, his blue eyes underneath his hood glowed red.

* * *

The crystals in the tunnel were smaller and farther apart from one another, leaving the long yet narrow passage with a dimmer light source. Fortunately, their sight had adjusted to the dark. Water leaked along the ground in puddles. A gentle yet chilly breeze blew through them. Leon heard Fiona shiver and the sound of material ruffling behind him. He took a glimpse at her and saw her rubbing her arms. Despite how nice the outfit was and how good it looked on her, it was certainly not suitable for the sort of environment they travelled in. No wonder she was shivering in a dress so thin with a skirt that short. He pulled at the collars between his neck and shoulders.

"Here."

"Huh?" When Fiona turned her head hearing his voice, she became taken aback seeing him offering her his jacket. "Oh... no. Thank you but I'm fine, really—"

"Come on," he insisted. "It's cold."

And so he opened and carefully wrapped it over her shoulders. Hugging her arms in a stronger grip, she winced and her muscles stiffened tightly again to his physical proximity but surprisingly she wasn't as intimidated as much as she thought she should have been. He took a step back to give her space when he was done. The leather jacket was quite big for her size, making her appear so dainty. It was fleecy on the inside and warm from absorbing his body heat. She mumbled another 'thank you' awkwardly as she slipped her arms into the sleeves and then tucked them up to free her hands.

He beamed down at her. "There you go. Snug as a bug."

At the far end of the tunnel, one of the crystals was flickering. She blinked and tilted her head, bringing him to avert his gaze to whatever was behind him. Something was blocking the light, a sign of movement. A shadow was coming towards them. Hewie could smell a revolting scent. He hunched his legs and growled at whatever was ahead.

The shadow's mysterious owner came into view as it got closer. It was a small, leaden pink, skinless creature no more than a foot high. It didn't have a face, only a mouth, and was wobbling over its feet.

"What the hell is that?" was the first thing Leon said.

Fiona was confused. It was similar to the miniature Homunculi she used to see roaming through the castle. It was constantly bumping into rocks and crystals until it flopped to the ground, lying on its belly and panted in deep heaves. Something was wrong with it.

He withdrew his knife. "Wait here."

He was about to approach the strange organism and Hewie's threatening growl was replaced with a frightful whine as his ears flattened. His tail curled between his hind legs and he hid behind Fiona.

"Hewie?" she frowned.

The creature began to gag and shake. Leon shot to full alert and retreated to stand in front of the other two. Instinct made them back away, unsure of what was happening. Just then—its back split open and tentacles sprouted from it. Fiona gasped in shock. The fleshy tendrils produced claws as they rose higher and swung wildly. Blood blended with a sickly coloured substance splattered everywhere. Leon remembered this all too well.

"Argh—You've got to be KIDDING me!"

The Homunculus shrieked and it was growing increasingly in size with each passing second. Its limbs bulked rapidly and its high-pitched screeching deepened into a low bellow. Hewie ran to a safer distance, barking at Fiona and Leon to come with him. A sense of dread rose to the terror unfolding before them. The creature was no longer a diminutive being anymore. It was massive. Nearly reaching as tall as the tunnel itself. It couldn't see but could feel the presence of three. One of them had a radiating essence of purity. It immediately craved its life source. With a thunderous roar, it charged for that essence, crawling on all fours at an intense speed.

"Go, go!" Leon yelled, clutching onto Fiona's hand as they ran for their lives.

If he had his gun on him, he'd probably stand a chance. He had killed B.O.W.s worse than this in the past. But Fiona and Hewie were his top priority. He had to protect them no matter what.

The Homunculus sensed the essence going further away and refused to lose it. The tunnel rumbled as it barged and destroyed the boulders and crystals in its wake, disintegrating the light from each one. When terrified Fiona dared to look back, she saw its head scraping against the roof of the tunnel. Cracks were spreading across it.

"Leon!"

He didn't even need to see. The cracks scattered directly to the opening where they started. They watched in horror as the entrance crumbled and collapsed. He grabbed her arms and held her back.

"Look out!"

The three stumbled as a heavy mist dispersed from the fallen rocks. They spun around as the panic began to sink in, realising they were trapped. Hewie barked in an attempt to fend it off.

Not ready to die and definitely not willing to let Fiona and Hewie die either, Leon shoved his hand into his attaché pack, taking out a yellow antimony. He didn't know what good it would do but it had to be worth a shot. With no other choice, he hurled the tiny object at the creature. It didn't have much of an affect as it burst on its chest, golden sparks already sizzling out. She picked up on what he was going and threw an antimony filled with a black powder from her pouch. The second made enough impact to slow it down. They continued to throw more until they finally managed to stun the beast. It screamed as colourful bolts of electricity finally paralyzed it and they took their chance to get past it and run like hell. Hewie jumped sideways to dodge a large rock that fell beside him. More were dropping everywhere around them. The tunnel was falling apart.

The power of the antimonies quickly wore off and the Homunculus dragged its limbs to twist itself, resuming the chase for its prey. Leon's grip on her hand tightened as he made himself sprint faster as they neared the end of the tunnel, his chest feeling heavy as his panting quickened. Once they would get into an open area, the more odds they would have on their side. Fiona felt almost weightless over her feet trying to keep up with his speed. The strap of her pouch started to loosen down her waist. She tried to hold onto it but she was struggling to because of the jacket's thick sleeve and their erratic pace. Inevitable, it slipped through her fingers.

"Leon—"

"Forget it! Leave it!"

The pouch landed on the ground with a quiet 'clang' sound under the Homunculus' bawling howl. It was starting to gain on them until its foot stomped on the bag. All of the items inside exploded at once. A booming noise erupted and the three almost fell over as it wailed and smashed its head into the tunnel's roof. They reached the end at last and the whole passage collided, crushing the Homunculus behind them. When they thought they made it out, Leon saw a huge rock fall right above them.

He pushed Fiona out of harm's way and jumped in a rolling motion. Hewie leapt in time before they could all be crushed themselves.

By the time the loud rumbling faded into silence, the place was covered with a second wave of the musky dust. A horrid smell of the creature's pulverised flesh stained the air. Hewie's fearful yapping could be heard when the ringing in Leon's ears subsided. He got up coughing with one hand covering his mouth whilst swatting the dust away with the other. His head darted to check on Fiona but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Fiona...! FIONA!?"

Relief surged through him when he could hear her coughing as well. The dust gradually settled and he discovered she was on the opposite side of the fallen rocks that now divided the area in two after spotting her through a small gap. There was no way he could get to her.

"Are you alright?" she cried when she noticed him. "Where's Hewie!?"

"I'm okay. Hewie's with me. I don't think he's hurt."

Fiona sighed greatly before it was replaced by a fretful guilt present in her eyes. "Thank goodness... Leon, I'm so sorry! I swear I had no idea this would happen. I—"

"Calm down. I believe you. Are you hurt?"

"No. What do we do now?"

He surveyed the cave in thought and then back to her. "Wait, the map said these tunnels are joined together, right? See if you can make your way back to the courtyard. We'll meet you there."

"A-alright. Please take care of Hewie!" she pleaded

"I will. Take these." He passed through a handful of magnesias and antimonies to her. "Be careful, Fiona."

"You too, Leon. You be careful..."

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Hope you liked this one. I may have taken a stretch at Fiona's knowledge of such a language, but its something I choose to do anyways. To quote the show 'Scrubs': "Because I can!"**


	9. Chapter Eight

**Hello! Terribly sorry for those who have been waiting for this. I have been so busy and tired from work. But here it is either way and I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Eight

"Dammit!" Leon cursed.

He didn't like the idea of Fiona being alone. Not one bit. He still couldn't believe Las Plagas was here in Italy. For how long? Were more of those things on loose? The dreadful concept just made him fear for her safety. She seemed so frail yet she had a fierce determination that kept her going. He hoped she could manage on her own until he found her. He knew Hewie was troubled as well. It took him a while to coax the young dog away from the rubble that separated them from her. He had to find a way to contact Hunnigan as soon as possible.

The chilly air was creeping on his bare arms. He was glad he gave her his jacket. Hewie's ears flopped and he glanced up at him sadly. He smiled to reassure him and rubbed the top of his head, who appreciated the gesture and licked his fingers. As they travelled side by side, Leon contemplated the creature's behaviour. It appeared to be weak before it mutated. He was surprised he and Fiona were able to slow it down with only minor explosives. Perhaps it was infected with a low-grade Plaga type. When he fought the Ganados, he was armed with a variety of weapons. Would these antimonies and magnesias be enough for her to protect herself?

"C'mon, buddy..." he said to Hewie, urging him to keep up.

Leon explored the area, trying to recollect the details of the map when Hewie trotted ahead, discovering something by the wall of a wrecked dwelling with streams of water trickling between the cracks, forming a puddle in a hole in the terrain. He barked to show Leon what he found. A metal box was lying in the middle of it. Leon headed over as Hewie barked again for a second and third time. Crouching beside him, he noticed a wide dent, as though it was damaged from the outside-in. He wasn't aware of it, but Hewie detected a faint residue of the exact same scent as that creature's emerging from it. Rust had tarnished the metal, coating the bottom half due to the water it sat in.

"How did this get down here?"

With no further evidence to answer his question, he carried on walking. Hewie followed him, snuffing at the box. What they couldn't see at the back of it underneath the puddle was the infamous red and white logo of Umbrella Inc.

* * *

Fiona wrapped her arms around her stomach. The stillness of the ruins she first perceived as peaceful was now eerie and ominous. Everything was too quiet. Her flat boots tapping against the gravel was all she could hear. She was still shaken by the attack of the Homunculus. None of the Homunculi in the castle had ever changed like that before. She didn't expect any to be down here. As far as she knew, the ruins were supposed to be deserted according to a journal given to her by someone named Lorenzo. Was it just the Homunculi below the castle that could morph? And now she was separated from Hewie and Leon without any way of knowing of they were at risk stumbling across more of them. She felt like a terrible person for leading them into danger.

"_What was I thinking? Did I seriously believe we would find the way out from a place miles underground that easily?"_

She chastised herself, guilt gnawing at her insides, for being so desperate the moment she had the Mercury Key in her hand. She ignored a note Lorenzo provided with that journal for so long. Never bothered to act upon any instructions given to her. She hadn't even heard from him since that note; the last she ever received.

Fiona wished she had the journal with her. Not just because of its practicality to assist her navigating the ruins. When she first read it, she felt a special kinship with the words written inside, well acquainted with the diarist's handwriting and talented artistic skills. She only read Lorenzo's note once but went through the journal dozens of times. There were quite a number of pages missing yet she memorised all that was left, recognising some of the landscapes from the sketches. But the most particular part that gripped her was a torn piece of an entry about a woman and a baby. She lost count of how many times she read those few lines.

Her heart ached. Needing to distract herself, she turned her thoughts elsewhere which automatically reverted back to Hewie, failing to ease her conscious. She was so worried about him. She still didn't know Leon well enough but she had to put her trust into his word that he would keep her friend safe. Shaking her head, she told herself over and over that everything would be fine. Hewie was a tough dog and he liked their new companion. Leon was nice to him, as well as her, and those two got along. He was also kind to lend her his jacket. She just wasn't sure if she should put her trust into a man she hardly knew. For now though, she had no choice.

She folded her hands and covered her nose and mouth, sighing into them. She stayed on her course, focusing on the task at hand, when a feeling suddenly struck. Her pace gradually grew still and she slowly glanced over both shoulders. Nothing could be seen but there was no doubting her instincts as the feeling continued to linger. Something she had been long accustomed to throughout her time in the castle: being spied on. There was definitely a presence lurking nearby. Afraid and not wanting to loiter any longer, she started to walk faster, ascending her steps into a jog.

Hazel eyes monitored her as she ran into a crevice within a monumental rock formation and out of sight.

Fiona ran to get away from what, or whoever, was surveilling her. She was not going to stand idle and wait to be pounced on. After dashing into shelter, she slide through the narrow gap and twisted her frame out into an open antre, she kept running but did not see a fracture in the ground until it caught her foot. She tripped and fell before she knew it. When she landed, her hand scraped against a jagged rock, instantly puncturing her palm. Crying out to the unbearable pain, she sat on her knees and pressed her other hand firmly onto the wound. Warm blood seeped between her fingers and tiny droplets of it spilled on her thighs and Leon's jacket. She bit her bottom lip hard to prevent herself from yelling again and gain the unwanted attention of who was hiding from her. Her voice was reduced to sobbing and whimpering noises as she rocked back and forth, waiting for the pain to recede.

When she calmed down, she peered at her palm, quick to cover it again receiving a flash of memory, reminded of when her hands were last stained maroon. It was a pretty deep gash and it wouldn't stop bleeding. Shudders quavered through her, not just from the pain. She whirled her head and sought for something, anything that could treat her injury. That was when she spotted a pool in the centre of a set of twisted pillars, so she got up and went over to it. Rolling the jacket's sleeves up by raising her arms, she knelt in front of the water and dipped her hands in to wash the blood away. It stung as soon as the wound touched the icy liquid, making her cringed. It was expected but what she didn't anticipate was a strange tingling sensation that swept through her injured hand, flowing to her the tips of her fingers and straight up her arm.

Alarmed, she retracted both hands from the pool and checked her wound. She withdrew it away in shock to what she was seeing. The wound was closing. She could do nothing but gawk, horrified watching... feeling her skin stretch and pull itself inward until it was sealed with a scar. Her palm was healed and the pain was vanquished, as though it was never cut to begin with.

Fiona stared dumbstruck at the water gently rippling before her. There was more to this place than what meets the eye.

* * *

Leon and Hewie hadn't encountered anything like the creature that chased them and Fiona, or any other living being for that matter. That was a good thing, but they still needed to find her. He hoped they would run into her soon.

It was all the same. Nothing but grey stones, twisted pillars, and illuminated crystals. He found a plaque yet paid no mind to it since she was not there to translate it for him. Behind it were a bunch of little houses facing each other in two parallel lines. Ahead past all them was a trail leading towards a larger building with many pillars holding its roof up. Inside was a statue of a woman wearing a hooded robe, wielding a wingless caduceus cane. There was also an inscription below it that he couldn't understand. The words had eroded off anyway. The section they were in resembled a temple or shrine of sorts. Did the people of the past worship whatever this statue was supposed to represent? It didn't look like anything he had seen related to the religion of the Los Illuminados.

On either side of the statue were four cubes with a sphere on top of them, surrounding it in a square. The spheres were pearlescent globes and in different colours of red, blue, green and yellow. Leon and Hewie past them shrine down a single pathway towards double arched doors. Instead of knobs or handles, they had imprints in the shape of a hand on each of them. Leon wondered what would happen if he positioned his on them and so he did. The doors would not budge, no matter how hard he pushed, grunting during his efforts.

Two torches hung on both sides. One was blazing with an azure flame while the other was unlit. Beneath them were pedestal stands. Under the burning fire was a blue orb much like the blue globe, only it was the size of a tennis ball. The second stand had an empty semi-circular slot. Where was the other orb? Leon noticed the blue one was loose, meaning it could be removed. He curled his fingers over and lifted it up and at once, the fire became extinguished.

"_Soooo... we locate the missing orb, both torches light up and maybe that'll get these doors open?"_

He didn't know where to start. It could be anywhere. As he gazed at the one he held, he saw Hewie staring at him. Dogs were supposed to have excellent tracking skills, right? He crouched to the Alsatian's level and presented it to him.

"You think you can help me find something like this, buddy?"

Hewie brought his head closer and sniffed the object. He then gave a confident 'woof' and put his nose to the ground. He averted away from the doors and Leon tagged along with him in his search, pocketing the orb into his attaché case. Hewie backtracked through the shrine to the rows of houses. He assumed he would go into one of them yet he went between two of them to a gap at the bottom of a wall of bars. They were too narrow and close together for him to fit with his broad shoulders. So he kept his eyes on Hewie as he crawled under it and ventured at the opposite side where it was dark. He was barely visible thanks to his white fur.

The German shepherd barked once more and unhinged his jaw to pick something up. He returned to Leon with a ball in his mouth identical to the blue orb. It was green. That went a lot better than Leon thought it would.

"Good boy!" he praised, leaning down to accept it as Hewie dropped it onto his palm.

His face scrunched, pulling a funny face when he realised the orb was covered with saliva. He shifted it to his other hand with light fingertips, shaking the warm drool off as they headed back to the double doors. Leon fished out the blue orb and examined the two he now possessed.

"_I better not be wrong about this."_

Though uncertain, he deposited the blue one back in its stand, restoring the fire and the green one into its own. It was a perfect fit. The torch above it became ignited with an extraordinary emerald flame. Leon pressed his hands onto the imprints again. Seconds later, the doors began to shake and slowly opened, granting them passage to enter.

"Let's go, Hewie," Leon grinned. "We don't want to keep Fiona waiting, do we?"

Hewie barked happily, as if in agreement, and the two advanced inside. Leon pondered if she had to go through a door like that, wherever she was.

It was darker with smaller crystals connected to the rocks here and there, but not difficult to see. A few metres ahead was a sign carved into stone above a juncture leading to somewhere. He recalled it being one of the landmark symbols from the map. He and Hewie stepped in and found mining equipment.

They were all incredibly old. The silver metal had rusted to the brink of falling apart. So were the tracks going into pitch-black tunnels, half buried in the earth. What was odd to Leon were scattered scraps from used explosives that were obviously what had blasted a hole in the wall seen at their far left. They were modern, C-4s he reckoned, unlike the ancient tools around them. On one of the boulders made from the blast was an 'X' carved on it. There were no glowing crystals in the hole, leaving the unknown in darkness at the furthest point the light could reach.

Hewie was not comfortable going anywhere near it. His back hunched. Even with the distance, he could smell the putrid scent. Something about the vicinity didn't seem right to Leon either. Hewie was glad they didn't have to go in, nor any of the tunnels, and tailed behind him exiting the site. The map stated they would have to go along a route circling all the way around to the right across the ruins in order to get back to the courtyard. And to the right of where they were was a light coming from the mouth of the next cavern. They could feel another breeze and a feather-light cool spray of water fanning against them.

The cavern widened to a vast canyon with a waterfall tumbling from a tall cliff towering over where they stood to a small, shallow lake. He couldn't determine any way to go apart from a trail between the cliffs, so they headed towards it. Hewie didn't settle for long. Already, another scent invaded his nostrils and made him freeze. _He_ was near... and coming closer. His paws patted cautiously before his head shot upward.

Leon stopped when he heard him growling. Quick to figure out what it meant, he gripped the handle of his knife and prepared for the upcoming threat. He kept his ears sharp for any noise under the cascading waves and scanned the environment for possible openings. To the left... To the right... Nothing. Yet Hewie's growls were on the rise. Taking slow steps backwards, knowing he was exposed standing where he was. He briefly glimpsed at Hewie to see what direction he was facing, which was by the overhang of the waterfall.

Hewie's head tilted higher and then barked abruptly. From above, a silver glint shone in Leon's eyes, stunning him blind. He automatically shut them and used his hand to block its source. While he was momentarily disoriented, a figure leapt from the cliff to strike him down. He dove out of the way, regaining his senses in time, almost slashed by a sharp blade that pierced the ground mere inches from him. Hewie retreated to his side and snarled at the assailant. He spun to face them and saw none other than Jack Krauser, holding his knife that glistened as it reflected the light of the crystals.

The mercenary smirked as the agent raised his weapon. "I gotta hand it to you, Leon... It ain't even half a day and you're already here? I'm impressed. Took me a while before I could walk right in."

Leon didn't say anything. He just glared in return.

"I see Fiona's not with you," Krauser pointed out.

"You can thank your little parasite pals for that!"

"Ahh... he did say the Infant Plaga Homunculi tend to go haywire once they get a whiff of Azoth."

"_Azoth?"_ Leon's brow cocked inquisitively. "And HE would be...?"

"You'll find out sooner or later... if you live that is. It's obvious she isn't dead. The real question is: which of us three will find her first?"

Before Leon could speak any further, Krauser lashed at him with his dagger to slice his throat. He jumped back and ducked, shoving the knife towards his opponent's abdomen yet Krauser saw this, grabbing his arm with his free hand. Spinning the dagger with his fingers, he aimed its tip for the jugular and thrust it upward. Leon yanked his weight sideways, dodging the attack and threw his leg up and kicked Krauser as hard as he could. Hewie yapped to the battle that ensued as he fell and dropped the dagger.

Something slipped out of his pocket, landing with a 'clinging' sound. His eyes rounded and desperateness appeared on his face when he realised what had fallen, which Leon noticed. He spotted a glass vial lying there. Krauser dashed to grab it until Leon kicked away from his reach, also kicking dirt in his face doing so. He scowled furiously and lunged. Too close to be evaded this time, he stomped his foot into Leon's gut, causing enough pain to make him drop his own knife with a hoarse groan. Krauser took the advantage and clutched onto his neck in a vice-like grip. He pinned Leon against a boulder and began to strangle him without mercy.

Leon struggled for air as Krauser squeezed his neck tightly. He choked whilst he strived to punch and kick to free himself. Yet it was no use with Krauser arching his spine harder over the rock, making it even more difficult to breathe. He was becoming light-headed feeling his windpipe contracting, his chest aching for oxygen along with his racing heartbeat. A smug smile parted Krauser lips seeing this. A delightful glee filled him with a chuckle bubbling. Leon attempted to swing his arm and knock Krauser's down but in his weakening state, it was easy for Krauser to shove it away with his elbow. He laughed callously.

"Ha, ha, ha... You're clearly not going to be the one who's gonna claim the girl. You've had this coming a looong time, Kennedy."

A jolt of panic heightened at the mention of Fiona. If he were to die now, she and Hewie would be left alone and defenceless.

The canine whined fearfully. He wanted to help but could sense the parasites thriving within Krauser. He saw Leon was trying to reach for something behind his back. His ears then perked up, running over to a short distance. He charged forward and jumped, leaping to head-butt Krauser's side. He stumbled when the dog hit him, his grip loosening and Leon gasped greatly when he felt his lungs able to take in oxygen again. He snatched a magnesia from the attaché and flung it at him.

Krauser let out a guttural cry as it burst on his face. The magnesia exploded on his right eye and blood instantly gushed from it. Leon bent his knee to boot him off and slumped to sit down, wiping any specs of blood that spilt on him. His fingers massaged his throbbing neck and he coughed to catch his breath. Hewie ran over to him, rubbing his nose against his cheek.

"...Thanks, buddy," Leon's raspy voice strained to say as he patted his head.

Krauser screamed in agony as he rolled across the ground, unable to see a thing with his bloody hand pressed against the gaping hole that was his eye.

"I'LL KILL YOU, LEON!" Krauser hollered. "I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

The injury and excruciating pain had blinded him. His vision was gone. He used his other hand to frantically sway and locate the man he hated with every fibre of his being. When Leon recovered, he rested his hand on the boulder and pushed himself to stand while his former partner spewed more obscene insults and threats his way. He and Hewie made sure to stay far from his reach. He then stepped to the discarded vial and picked it up, carefully pinching it between his thumb and forefinger.

A clear fluid filled the glass which was almost frosty to the touch. Its sturdy lid had a miniature amber electronic light shining from a bulb. He couldn't fathom why Krauser needed it. It simply looked like nothing but plain, ordinary water.

He gazed at Krauser. He was vulnerable. It would be impossible to deliver a fatal blow to someone infected with Las Plagas with the little he had... but he did have a chance to finish him right there. However, something crossed his mind.

He brought up Fiona. Twice.

"_What the hell does this bastard want with her?"_

Instead of seizing the opportunity, he tucked the vial into the attaché and called Hewie to come with him. Together, the two of them marched off. Someone else was in the ruins and was after Fiona. He would have to deal with Krauser later. He couldn't delay if she was trouble. Krauser could hear him make his departure.

"Wh-... where are you going!?" he demanded between incoherent grunts.

Leon ignored him and kept walking.

"COWARD! YOU'RE A DEAD MAN, LEON! DEAD!"

He received no reply and gradually Leon's footsteps could no longer be heard. Still covering his eye, his left arm started to pulsate and produce spikes as his body vibrated with fury.

"_I had him! I had him right there!"_

The glorious taste of victory was literally in his grasp. He saw the life faltering in Leon's eyes... only for it to be stolen by a measly varmint. He would skin that thing alive if it weren't for Riccardo's orders not to kill it. Forced himself to his knees, he swiped his spare hand swiped across the ground. The vial... Where was the vial? He crawled pitifully, listening for the sound of glass, wanting to murder Leon slowly and painfully, until he felt his hand dunk into the water of the lake. Relieved, his spikes dwindled, flattening till the skin was smooth once more.

Clambering further towards the waterfall, he leaned his head and submerged it into the stream. He balled his fists and he clenched his teeth bracing himself, already feeling its effects. It hurt immensely, his head shook as the skin of his face tugged pulling itself together. He almost ironically choked on his own breath, reminding himself to breathe by the time the wound was sealed. A new scar had joined his collection. His eyelids flickered as he panted, his tense shoulders easing as they rose up and down in rhythm. His right eye was fully restored... and so was his vision.

* * *

Leon wondered if he made the right call bailing on Krauser like that as he and Hewie hiked through the canyon. It was brighter by the numerous amounts of crystals. A wave of apprehension flooded him, determined to find Fiona before this other man did. What if there was more than just him and Krauser? The mental image spiralling spurred him to hurry.

Krauser also said something about 'Azoth', a word Fiona acted peculiar about. What was Azoth, anyway?

He tried to consider who the identity of the third person could be. All he knew it was they were male and that was it. He couldn't convince himself to believe it was the big guy who knocked him unconscious. Who else could it be? And there was still the possibility of her running into parasite-infected monsters.

His thoughts were cut off when he heard something being kicked above him. He looked up and saw a bag plummet over the edge of one of the cliffs and straight down to him. He caught it with perfect timing. It was a rough burlap bag, heavy from whatever was inside. Two thin, metallic rectangular plates were fastened to it by its tie string. He held them up, reading words printed on them. One said, 'THANKME' and the second, 'NONEEDTO'. He swapped them around to make more sense of the message.

"'No need to thank me'..."

He glanced back up suspiciously when he then heard footsteps walking away.

"Who's there?" he called to them.

Clicking high heeled shoes echoed in the air, becoming quieter until whoever was there was gone.

Hewie cocked his head, slightly groaning and was as equally confused as he was. Inspecting the bag warily, he knelt down and cut the knot with the knife. What he found when he peered inside was unexpected. It was his handgun. Along with his radio, his combat knife in a sheath... All of his equipment was there. How did that person get them? He retrieved the gun first and unclipped the magazine clip to verify how much ammunition it had. Not a single bullet was fired, giving him a full clip of fifteen bullets. The bag lacked the extra clips he knew he brought before starting the mission. He would have to use each bullet wisely. With that in mind, he secured the clip back in and set the gun into his holster where it rightfully belonged. Next, he took out the knife, switching it with the kitchen one, sliding it into the spare sheath and placing it into the attaché. He decided to keep it just in case.

After equipping the rest of his arsenal, he lastly checked the radio. As he figured, being deep underground, he couldn't get a signal. The screen only greeted him with a fuzzy speckle of static and screeched loudly. He would have to try again on higher ground. At least it was working. He stood up, putting it in its pocket and tossed the empty bag aside.

"Who was that...?" Leon muttered, craning his neck towards the cliff one last time.

* * *

The pale blonde softly brushed her fingers over the scar on her palm, taut yet tender, branded by the water that mended her wound. Fiona didn't understand how but the water in the Mercury Ruins had healing properties. Was this what Lorenzo meant by 'utmost secrets'?

Her eyes lit up when she came across an engraving of a sign representing the courtyard. It had to be close by. She feared she became lost wandering aimlessly through a canyon. The only thing that was appeared different to the norm of the caves were double doors and torches burning with ruby and golden flames and matching coloured orbs under them. Eager to see Hewie, she rushed to get there faster but was startled when pebbles toppled from somewhere behind her. Spinning around, she barely acknowledged an 'X' carved into a large rock seeking whatever caused them to fall. Fearing it was the same thing from earlier, she began to run and didn't stop until she came to a corner of the base of a cliff. She hid there and panted, waiting for a moment before peeking see if anything actually was there. She couldn't tell. It was completely silent. Perhaps she was being paranoid.

Sighing to herself with her eyelids closed, Fiona took a step back and turned around to tread on. When they opened... she saw a man storming towards her.

Her blood became as cold as ice and she gasped before shrieking in fright. He grabbed her arms and slammed her against the cavern wall.

"So THIS is where you've been," sneered Riccardo.

* * *

**Oh dear! Not good for poor Fiona D:**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Hello everyone and Merry Christmas! Hope you're all having a wonderful time this year. I also hope you enjoy this newest chapter. After the new year begins, HE may progress a bit slower due to work becoming more busy after my holiday break comes to an end. I'll keep you updated once I post the next chapter. Happy holidays and Happy New Year in advance!**

**Trigger Warning:**** For those who may be sensitive, this chapter will open with an abusive scenario.**

* * *

HAUNTING EVIL  
Chapter Nine

Fiona shut her eyes in a hysteric perturbation. Her breathing was close to hyperventilating. She lowered her head to avoid looking at Riccardo. She could not to bear to see his face. He squeezed her arms in a vice grip, not caring for any pain he was inflicting.

"I must say, I was not aware that you knew of the Mercury Ruins. How DID you get here?" he probed with an all-knowing tone, as though he was daring her to lie.

She didn't answer his question, too petrified to speak. The key was still tucked in her boot.

"What were you thinking wandering through this perilous place?" he kept on. "You know you shouldn't be putting yourself at risk in your condition."

She let out a sob before she could stifle it. Her body trembled in his clutches as her heart was beating so immensely that she could feel it pulsing in her ears.

Meanwhile, Leon and Hewie were heading in their direction. Both were positive they had heard Fiona scream. Leon hid at a corner hearing a man speak. Hewie was on edge. His fur bristled, baring his teeth with a deep growl. Leon's eyes enlarged when he peeked and saw a man pressing her against a cavern wall, snaring her between his arms. He was dressed in brown clothing with a hood over his head, concealing his identity. He recognised it from somewhere... as well as his voice.

A blurry vision of a hooded figure glaring down at him came back to him, followed by another memory...

_"When you're done scouting, return Miss Belli to the mansion and see to it that you lock her in her chambers. I doubt she will be any trouble but now that the mutt is with her again, I do not want her to attempt another escape..."_

It was him. The man from the entrance hall. He had completely forgotten about him and scolded himself for it. This was the one Krauser meant.

"Well? Answer me, Fiona!" the man demanded, shaking her harder.

Leon could see the terror all over her face, whimpering helplessly and twisting her head as far as it was capable of as her captor leaned his face in inches from hers. She was absolutely scared to death of him. They had to help her. Hewie's rage was growing as was the volume of his growling. Leon held his hand over his chest to keep him calm.

"Easy—easy there, buddy," he whispered. "This way."

Taking out his gun, he commanded Hewie to follow him and crept forward, sneaking behind every hiding spot they could use. If they stayed quiet, they could get the jump on this guy before he would know they were there.

Once Riccardo accepted that she wasn't saying anything, he released her. "Fine. If you will not talk now, you will talk later. We're going home."

Fiona, however, was rooted in her place. It was like she was paralyzed.

"I do have one more question, though..."

She dreaded to hear what it was.

"Why are you wearing the outsider's coat?"

She squirmed uncomfortably. The second she was finally brave enough to open her eyelids, he raised his hand and slapped her hard across her face, her head whipping fast as she fell. Leon was shocked witnessing it, hearing the clash the man's palm striking her cheek along with her cry as she dropped to her knees. Hewie snarled viciously and sneaked faster ahead of him.

"—Hewie!" he hissed, not wanting the man to be alerted sooner.

Fiona covered her stinging, red cheek, trembling harder than before.

"Initially, I presumed he forced you to abide by him because he snatched you from Krauser," Riccardo stated. "But now I see you are not as obedient as I thought. Must I remind you of what happened the last time you disobeyed me?"

The memories of all the bloodshed were oh so clear. "...no."

"Good. Now get up!"

Hesitantly, Fiona pushed her hands to the ground to stand with buckling legs. She lifted her head and gaped. Hewie and Leon were there and coming in fast. He noticed her reaction and turned.

Hewie prepared to launch himself at Riccardo but when he was within reach by a few feet, he picked up the scent he smelled from Krauser and the creature, making his paws skid into a halt. Riccardo leapt backward and the distraction was enough for Leon to pull Fiona up and behind him. It happened so quickly and her shock duplicated as he aimed a gun at Riccardo.

"Freeze!" he yelled.

She nearly stumbled over her feet at the sight, granted only a second of relief to see Hewie was well, peering past him to see what Riccardo would do. After composing himself, his shadowed face smiled beneath his hood. He was not bothered in the slightest having a deadly weapon directed at him.

"Hold it right there!" Leon threatened as he took a step forward. "Don't you know it's wrong to hit a woman?"

Fiona's hand covered her mouth. _"He saw that...?"_

"Who are you, anyway?"

The man laughed. "I am Riccardo, the keeper of Belli Castle. And you must be the 'Leon Scott Kennedy' I've heard so much about."

_"Belli Castle?"_ he silently mused. "So you know me, huh?"

"Yes. Leon Kennedy: a special agent from the government of the United States. A survivor of the Raccoon City Outbreak, as well as the outbreak in South America..."

_"Raccoon City?"_ marvelled Fiona.

"... and also the one who ended the reign of the Los Illuminados."

Leon's eyes sharpened. Obviously Krauser had been doing a lot of talking.

She stared at him in awe. Was it true? Had he really gone through such ordeals? She knew of the Raccoon City incident but had no idea that there were more. And Leon survived them all?

Hewie was itching to pounce on Riccardo. He caught him slowly trying to reach for something and snapped up at him in warning. The mocking amusement faded from his hidden features.

"Now, I do not know what business you have here but I despise uninvited guests. Hand over Fiona to me and your death shall be quick and painless."

"After the way I just saw you treat her?" Leon lightly shook his head in defiance. "Nah. I don't think so."

Fiona winced to his response. "Leon, it's okay. Take Hewie and go."

What she said caught him off-guard. "What?"

Riccardo's lips stretched again, full with a haughty arrogance. "It would be wise not to test my patience. She is my property. I have no time for the likes of you."

"Your property!?" Leon repeated, appalled to hear her being referred to in such a term. For him to say it with nonchalance like it was a simple fact.

Fiona gripped her temples. Her head was starting to swirl. _"No, Leon. Don't listen to him. For God sakes—DON'T get involved!"_

Unbeknownst to them, someone was approaching them. If it were not for Hewie's acute senses, they would have failed to pay heed. He spun around and barked. Fiona turned as Leon looked over his shoulder and saw Krauser striding towards them. He was momentarily stunned seeing his unscathed face.

"What the—!? How did you...?"

Krauser merely grinned smugly.

"Impeccable timing," spoke Riccardo.

The three were now sandwiched as the two waited for them to surrender. Hewie faced Krauser refusing to stand down. Leon kept his gun pointing at Riccardo, his eyes searching for a solution. There was the courtyard in the distance. He could make out the old water fountain. He then locked eyes with Fiona's anxious pair, who couldn't tell what he was thinking. The moment Krauser and Riccardo began to enclose on them, he quickly shoved his gun into his holster and flung two antimonies at their assailants in a flash, entrapping them in electricity. Grabbing her hand, he made a run for it before the sparks would give out.

"Hewie, come on!"

Sending Fiona in front, they bolted for the courtyard. The antimony's affect wore off for Riccardo who abandoned Krauser in order to pursue them. Leon encouraged her to keep going as they sprinted through the courtyard. They were left to choose one of the remaining paths and with little time to decide. In their haste, they ran towards a stairway west to the debris they climbed down after they arrived in the ruins. He made sure the others went up first. Riccardo was right on their tail. He wasn't as fast yet Krauser was no longer stunned and ready to join the hunt.

Leon rushed up the steps close behind his companions. At the top was a bridge over a deep chasm. A crack was heard beneath their feet as Fiona and Hewie ran across it. When Leon ran across, the bridge crumbled and broke apart. He felt emptiness under himself, limbs flailing, and was falling with the rubble.

"Leon!" she cried as she diverted back and dove to save him.

She caught his arm in time, his weight dragging her near the edge. Both felt the wind knocked out of them when she landed on her chest and his body collided against the rocky surface. A sharp pain rocked his head after his forehead knocked into it. Her muscles strained, gripping his hand for dear life as his arm slipped, trying her hardest to pull him up. He wasn't a large man but was heavy for her delicate physique. Leon grabbed one of the ledges yet it came loose and gave away, tumbling all the way to the spiky stalagmite below. He had to get up before he would plummet and end up impaled, and worse, bring Fiona down with him. Hewie yapped as she groaned whilst tightening her hold on him.

"FIONA!" shouted Riccardo.

The young woman gasped. He was standing on the opposite side of the destroyed bridge, staring in disbelief with an equally stupefied Krauser.

"What are you doing!?" he objected. "Just allow this worthless maggot to fall!"

Leon leaned his head up as he dangled. She was frightened. He feared she might actually do it but when she looked down at him, he saw something. She was not heartless. She couldn't let him die this way. Grimacing, she adjusted herself to her knees and tried harder to pull him up again.

"Fiona! Do as I say and let go of him!" ordered Riccardo.

Even this was unexpected for Krauser as they observed her attempt to rescue Leon. He was able to jump great heights but the gap was too far for him. There was nothing either of them could do.

Leon managed to grab another ledge and hook his feet onto other ones, making it easier to climb. Hewie shuffled behind Fiona and latched onto the hem of the jacket and pulled with his teeth. Gradually, Leon grabbed the top of the cliff and hoisted himself over to safety once he got his leg up.

Riccardo seethed furiously and seized his pistol out from his side. Fiona panicked as he lined it up at Leon's back, remembering the same gun aiming at the face of another. While Leon was recovering, she rushed to place herself between them to act as a shield, shocking Riccardo and forcing him to lower it so he would not shoot her by accident. Fear shackled her where she sat, keeping her gaze fixed on his looming glower, even from afar, flinching as Leon gently tugged at her arms to stand with him.

"Let's get outta here," he said.

Rage burned inside Riccardo's chest like a blazing inferno as he and Krauser watched them flee and disappear into the dark void ahead of them... Watched her run away from him with another man.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!" he bellowed at Leon, his fury booming against the stalactites. "SHE IS MINE! THE AZOTH BELONGS TO ME!"

The deranged words disturbed them, sending chills to their cores even after they were long gone. They didn't stop until they took notice that the area differed to smooth, layered bricks like the castle. Far from their pursuers' field of vision, Fiona leaned a hand on the wall and the other on her chest to catch her breath. Leon stepped towards to her.

"You alright?" he asked, still troubled about Riccardo hurting her. He reached to examine her but reflex made her smack his hand away when it was right over her cheek.

"I'm fine!" she insisted, walking past him.

"Fiona, your face is still shining like a light bulb. It wasn't right of him to hit you like that! How long has this been going on for?"

"Leon—don't!"

Her head sunk as her shoulders scrunched close to her neck. Hewie could already see the tension rising, glancing between them warily.

"He called you his property!" Leon persisted, ignoring his pounding headache. "And what did he mean by 'Azoth' anyway?"

"Just stop it," she pleaded as her breath became hoarse. Her heartbeat was drumming against her ribs. Her skin flushed with pins and needles.

"You can't expect me to drop it like nothing happened—"

"Leon—ENOUGH!"

He and Hewie nearly jumped to her sudden outburst. Her hand clasped over her mouth, ashamed of herself for snapping at him. The air grew still with a disconcerting silence. She tried to dismiss the subject by walking on but only made a few steps when he spoke once more.

"Well at least now I know who gave you those bruises..." He knew he hit a bull's eye for she froze on the spot with a faint gasp.

Fiona kept her back to him, pursing her lips, not wanting him to see her on the verge of tears and he mentally kicked himself for it. It came out a lot harsher than he intended it to.

"Look, I'm just worried about you."

"You don't need to be...!" she quickly protested, detesting the betrayal of her wavering tone.

He exhaled heavily. He had been quiet about his knowledge of her long enough. It was about time he told her. "Fiona... I know you're the girl from the car crash."

She gasped again a little louder. "... H-how do you know about that?"

"You and your parents were reported missing half a year ago. Their bodies were eventually found in the remains of a car wreck but you were nowhere to be seen. Everyone's been looking for you ever since. It was all over the news."

Fiona couldn't believe what she was hearing. He knew of her all along? With no contact beyond the castle, it was impossible for her to know what was happening out there. "People have been... looking for me?"

"Yes," he replied, hesitating before giving her the whole truth. "Actually... the local authorities recently called off the search. They never had much to go on with little evidence and no suspects." He was aware of how disheartening it would be to learn the world had lost hope for her, so he added with confidence, "...but your family hasn't given up. They hired detectives to find you."

"My family? I haven't even met any of them," she confessed in confusion. "All except..."

"Huh?"

She never met her family? How was that possible?

"Leon," she sighed. "I know I haven't done much to make things easier for you... and for that I am sorry. It's complicated. Riccardo is... dangerous. He has no sympathy or remorse for his actions. It will be better that you to stay away from him. That is all I can say."

And with that, she carried on with a steady pace, proclaiming it as the end of the conversation. Hewie trailed alongside her, pausing momentarily to look back at him and returned to her side. Leon frowned as he watched them walk away. He thought of the picture of her and her parents. Of the way she was smiling with happiness.

_"Fiona... What happened to you?"_

What happened to bring her to this predicament? What had taken that smile away? He continued to walk behind them with his eyes on her.

_"Fiona Belli and Belli Castle... No chance in Hell it's a coincidence."_

He had no doubts, recalling what Riccardo had said...

_"I doubt she will be any trouble but now that the mutt is with her again, I do not want her to attempt another escape..."_

He was going to get to the bottom of this, he declared to himself. It was as his gut instincts were telling him since he discovered she was here... That car accident was definitely no accident. Riccardo had to be involved with it somehow. Whatever the reason was, he was going to get her out of this.

* * *

Wrong. It was all wrong.

Fiona didn't expect everything to go as she planned but this was the last thing she wanted. She had hoped to spare Leon from finding out about the horrendous things she was subjected to. And now that he and Riccardo met face to face, things were bound to get worse than she anticipated. Riccardo's wrath would go beyond his limits. What if he hurt Hewie because of this? She thought that if she complied with what he required, she could guarantee Hewie's safety. Yet for Leon, it was a different case. If they didn't find a way out soon, he was as good as dead.

She could still remember the crash so vividly. The screeching of the wheels as the car spiralled losing control off the road. The windows smashing as the vehicle crashed into a cold deck of logs. Her and her parents screaming as they were flung forward in their seats... It was awful. There was a time when she could barely remember it at first, making her head hurt whenever she tried to. Sometimes she wondered if it would have been better if her clouded memories of that night never unveiled themselves to her at all. God she missed her mother and father so much.

Leon couldn't help but feel concerned for Fiona. Neither exchanged a word as they travelled through a long, empty corridor and she was filled with a sense of turmoil. There must have been a million thoughts running through her. He wished there was something he could do to help. He opened his mouth to speak until she faltered her steps.

"Leon..." she spoke insecurely before slowly turning half-way to look at him with crossed arms. "If you knew who I was this whole time... why didn't you say anything sooner?"

He stared back and then answered sincerely. "Because I didn't want you to feel pressured into talking. I thought it wouldn't be fair of me to blurt everything out and throw a bunch of questions at you at once.

She remained quiet, taking in his response. "..."

"So... Since the ruins plan is a bust, what now?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry for wasting your time," she apologised shamefully.

"Hey, come on. It's not your fault. In fact, the ruins itself was actually insightful."

"...? Wha—"

Hewie barked, interrupting her and to show them what was ahead. They glanced at each other briefly before following him in suit. A soft light was seen coming from a neatly carved hole high in the ceiling of a wide circular room. Under the light were four globes identical to the set Leon saw in the shrine. They were also familiar to Fiona. These globes were connected to matching coloured tracks that ended around a round mirror stained with old blood on the ground. A piece of glass was wedged into it, which unnerved her.

"Looks like these can be pushed. Let's see what happens," suggested Leon who was examining one of them. He pointed to the blue and red globes that were the closest to her. "You take those and I'll take these two."

Fiona let her arms slip down going to the blue one first, still locked onto the mirror as she did so. They grunted as they began to push one at a time. He started with the green one as it had the longest track. She got hers to the other end first having the shortest and once it was in place, it, as well as the mirror, faintly glowed. She moved on to the next by the time Leon finished pushing his. The green globe lit up and the mirror brightened more.

"We're onto something, here," he beamed at her.

She didn't reply, slightly baffled by his cheery banter after their recent argument, and kept pushing. When they got all four in position, the five objects were shining as brilliantly as the light above. The mirror shifted and as Hewie stepped on it, it slowly began to rise as a platform.

"Hewie!" Fiona hurried to stand on it before it would become too high to reach.

Leon hopped on to join them. She bent her knees to check that the glass would not cut her dog's legs and almost lost her balance. He caught her waist and jabbed his foot against the glass so it was smaller and less of a threat. As he figured, she turned rigid with his hand on her, so he removed it to simply hover instead, prepared to catch her if need be.

She appreciated him being considerate for her yet it still felt awkward. When she glimpsed up at him, he gave her a supportive wink and a thumbs up, added with a dashing grin. He then peered upward towards the light the platform brought them to. It caught her off-guard, unable to understand why he was being so pleasant towards her after the way she acted. She never had an excuse for her behaviour. She didn't mean to be this way. It wasn't like her to lash out. Then again, she wasn't sure who she was anymore...

When they reached the top through the hole, Fiona's mouth fell open aghast to where they found themselves...

Four globes and tracks like the ones underground on diamond marble flooring stood at the end of an entirely blue hall. Atop it was a shattered glass dome, letting in a cold breeze and the dark night sky's pale moonlight that made every sharp edge shimmer. Fragments of them lay all over the floor. The walls were filled with tall cathedral windows. Small chandeliers hung under the ceiling. They were back in the castle.

Leon was certain he had seen this place before. Focusing at the piece of glass in the mirror, he was reminded of the photograph of a smiling, impaled woman. This had to be the room she died in. He was about to ask Fiona of it but was alarmed seeing her clutching her head. She looked like she was going to have a panic attack.

"Fiona? What's wrong?"

She couldn't hear him. Her head was ringing. Her lungs restricted painfully. She swore to herself that she would never come back to this room again. All she could hear was the laughter of a woman echoing in her mind; a maid with lavender hair who stalked her throughout the castle wielding a long glass sabre in her bloody hand. Her last taunting words were still clear...

_"Blood... Flesh... Woman... You vile creature."_

Hewie was distressed. Not even his cries could overcome the haunting memory of the maid.

_"You lure the man into your filthy body again..."_

Leon stood in front of her. "Hey!"

_"...and AGAIN..."_

The maniacal laughter distorted into wild shrills, imploding the dome. Raining glass merged with the shards inside the swerving car. She was trapped. Surrounded. The sabre swung to hack her.

"Fiona!"

A hand grasped her shoulder, making her jump and just like that, the memories vanished. Her lids fluttered and she was faced by Leon's piercing eyes boring into hers.

"Are you okay?"

"...Y-yes," she assured even though her shuddering voice did not convince him. "I just need to get out of here."

Dashed past him to a stairway with a damaged banister, Hewie was right behind her without the need to be prompted to. Leon looked back at the mirror shortly before catching up. Was she there when the woman died?

A door was open at the base of the stairs and Fiona was on the other side holding onto a railing, panting as she forced herself to settle. Standing beside her, he realised they were on the upper floor of the library. He lifted a hand to pat her back but stopped in mid-air, patiently waiting for her to recuperate in her own time.

She let out a lengthy sigh and stood upright.

"You cool?" he asked.

"I'm cool..." She went to apologise again, embarrassed, until she spotted a distinct red colour on his forehead. "-! You're bleeding."

"Hm?" He touched his head. A bit of blood was smudged on his fingertips after he withdrew them.

She hadn't noticed it before with his locks hanging over the side of his face. He had minor scratches yet this one looked bad with a thin trail blood trickling and tangling to his brow. It must have been from when he bumped his head against the cliff.

"There's an infirmary not far from here," she informed. "We could take a detour there and take a look at it."

"Good idea."

They walked along the balcony past a grandfather clock through another door and were greeted by the back of a tarnished knight's suit of armour carrying a crossbow. Leon went to go around it down a bridge with black and red hexagonal tiles, aligned with broken statues of women wearing loose, sheer robes, until Fiona lifted her arm to prevent him.

"Wait!"

At the back of the knight was a button and she pressed it. A clicking sound resonated inside the suit.

"This knight is rigged. Step on the wrong tile three times and that crossbow will fire. You're lucky I just deactivated it, otherwise you could have had an arrow in the back of your head by now."

His eyebrows rose, feeling incredibly stupid for almost waltzing straight into a trap. He should have known. "Whoa... thanks. That would have been dumb of me."

Once the bridge was safe to cross, they entered a building and which was the top of the spiral stairway they descended shortly after they met. They were on the second half of the steps, treading towards a door to the floor below.

The guilt for the maid was still lingering within Fiona, wanting to be strong. Hewie was keeping a close eye on her. There was no fooling him. She knew she should make amends with Leon. She owed him for taking care of Hewie in her absence.

Going through the door, Leon saw a strange device to the right. Judging by its pipes connected to the wall, it was likely a draining contraption. It notably had three cubes stacked on top of each other with circles varied with crossed patterns. She and Hewie preceded in front of him up some more stairs between a semi-circular corridor with another grandfather clock. Fire torches decorated the walls. One half were full of prison cells with rusty yet sturdy bars. The doors to them were half-sized, meaning any unfortunate prisoner would be forced to crawl under it. Leon saw her eyeing them until they came to a second, vaguely recognisable machine close to a desk and an arched doorway. Through that were red opaque windows leading towards a door at the corner of a longer corridor. It was the left of the area past the labyrinth of a staircase.

"Here it is," said Fiona who was opening the door.

A privacy curtain was drawn close, concealing what the room had to offer. To say Leon was surprised was an understatement after he pulled it out of their way. The infirmary was full of modern equipment. Metal shelves were stocked with chemical bottles. An X-Ray board was mounted on the wall and against another was a sink next to a stand with plastic containers labelled 'Ethanol'. Near them were propane tanks. In the corner was a storage cupboard. To complete the infirmary were surgical lights shining upon an old examination table in the centre. The whole room felt out of place compared to the rest of the medieval castle.

"How the hell did they get this kind of stuff?" he wondered aloud while she crouched by the sink.

"Maybe there's outside contacts other than Krauser?"

"That makes sense... What are you doing?"

She answered him by unwrapping something hidden behind it tied to the pipe. It was a pouch like the one she lost.

"You got another?"

"I made a few of these. There should be two or three more hidden elsewhere... That is if Riccardo hasn't found them."

Leon folded his arms, seemingly impressed. "Very resourceful. You're pretty smart."

Fiona could only blink, uncertain of what to make of his compliment. She was about to tie the pouch around her waist but the jacket was in the way.

"Oh, umm..." She took it off and gave it back to him. "Thanks... for letting me borrow this."

"No problem."

He placed it on the table while she secured the cord on herself. They started to check the infirmary for anything useful when out of nowhere, his radio emitted a loud noise, startling all three of them. Leon picked it up from his pocket. He and Fiona stared at each other in perplexity. Someone was trying to contact him. Who could it be?

Leon held the screen at face him level the call...

* * *

**Hope you liked it. Yet another cliffhanger! Ain't I a stinker? xD**


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